Cleavage stimulation factor

Cleavage stimulatory factor or cleavage stimulation factor (CstF or CStF) is a heterotrimeric protein, made up of the proteins CSTF1 (55kDa), CSTF2 (64kDa) and CSTF3 (77kDa), totalling about 200 kDa. It is involved in the cleavage of the 3' signaling region from a newly synthesized pre-messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule. CstF is recruited by cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor (CPSF) and assembles into a protein complex on the 3' end to promote the synthesis of a functional polyadenine tail, which results in a mature mRNA molecule ready to be exported from the cell nucleus to the cytosol for translation.

The amount of CstF in a cell is dependent on the phase of the cell cycle, increasing significantly during the transition from G0 phase to S phase in mouse fibroblast and human splenic B cells.

Genes

• CSTF1, CSTF2, CSTF3

Further reading

• Lodish H, Berk A, Matsudaira P, Kaiser CA, Krieger M, Scott MP, Zipursky SL, Darnell J. (2004). Molecular Cell Biology. WH Freeman: New York, NY. 5th ed.

External links

• Cleavage stimulation factor at the US National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)