Protein K (gene expression)

Protein K is a human protein found in the cell nucleus that binds to pre-messenger RNA (mRNA) as a component of heterogeneous ribonucleoprotein particles. The simian homolog is known as protein H16. Both proteins bind to single-stranded DNA as well as to RNA and can stimulate the activity of RNA polymerase II, the protein responsible for most gene transcription. The relative affinities of the proteins for DNA and RNA vary with solution conditions and are inversely correlated, so that conditions promoting strong DNA binding result in weak RNA binding.

RNA binding protein domains in other proteins that are similar to the RNA binding domain of protein K are called K-homology or KH domains.

Protein K has been the subject of study related to colorectal cancer, in which an RNA editing event inducing the expression of an isoform containing a point mutation was found to be specific to cancerous cells.