Polyadenylation of mRNA precursors is a two-step reaction that requires multiple protein factors. The first step, endonucleolytic cleavage of polyadenylation substrates, requires CstF (cleavage stimulation factor), a heterotrimer that is composed of three distinct subunits. Heterotrimeric CstF recognizes GU- and U-rich sequences located downstream of the polyadenylation site on RNA. CstF-77 (cleavage stimulation factor, 77 kDa subunit), also known as CstF3, is one of the three subunits comprising CstF. It can exist as a homodimer and functions as the bridge, directly interacting with the other two CstF subunits, namely CstF-64 and CstF-50. CstF-77 is highly conserved among eukaryotes. It contains an Alpha-helical structure with 11 HAT (Half-a-TPR-containing) repeats and is essential for CstF assembly. In addition, CstF-77 is capable of interacting with CPSF1 and FCP1, other factors involved in polyadenylation.
