Purification by affinity chromatography of H1o RNA-binding proteins from rat brain

Post-transcriptional regulation of mRNA metabolism is involved in processes as different as cell fate specification in development and cell response to a large variety of environmental cues. Regulation of all steps of RNA metabolism depends on RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). By using a T1 RNase-protection assay, we previously identified three H1 degrees RNA-binding factors (p40, p70 and p110), highly expressed in the rat brain. Here we report enrichment of these factors from brain extracts, obtained by affinity chromato-graphy of biotinylated H1 degrees RNA-protein complexes on streptavidin-conjugated paramagnetic particles. The purified proteins maintain RNA-binding ability and preference for histone messages.