STAU1 (staufen, RNA binding protein, homolog 1) is a 577 amino acid protein that contains three double-stranded RNA-binding domains and is a mammalian homolog of Staufen, a Drosophila protein that is involved in mRNA transport during oogenesis and zygotic development. Localized to the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and expressed in a variety of tissues, including heart, brain, liver, lung, pancreas, kidney and placenta, STAU1 binds to both Tubulin and double-stranded RNA and is thought to play an important role in mRNA transport from the microtubule network to the RER. Additionally, STAU1 may be involved in cross-linking cytoskeletal components with RNA, an event that is important for proper mRNA positioning during translation. Alternative splicing of the STAU1 gene yields two STAU1 isoforms, designated short and long.
