RNA-binding specificity of Y-box protein 1

Y-box protein 1 (YB-1) is a multifunctional DNA/RNA-binding protein that regulates transcription and translation. The specificity of YB-1's RNA binding and its consequences are unknown. Because expression and subcellular localization of YB-1 have been reported to be important in breast cancer, we determined the specificity and functional impact of YB-1 mRNA-binding in MCF7 breast cancer cells. We used YB-1 antibodies to immunoprecipitate YB-1 and microarray profiling to compare YB-1-bound and total poly(A) RNA. We demonstrated that YB-1 mRNA-binding was preferential. Transcript sequences significantly associated with this binding had high GC content. Selected YB-1 mRNA-binding targets were confirmed by QRT-PCR. However, downregulation of YB-1 levels by siRNA did not affect their RNA or protein expression. Thus, YB-1 has RNA-binding specificity; however, YB-1 binding does not necessarily regulate the stability or translation of its mRNA targets. Further study is needed to determine the functional consequences of selective YB-1 mRNA binding.