In addition to the established role of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) affecting post-transcriptional steps in gene expression, RNA-binding also regulate the function, activity, structure, or location of so called “unconventional” RBPs. This phenomenon has been termed “riboregulation”. We identified cardiomyocyte specific proteins surprisingly as RBPs, such as the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase 2 (SERCA2a) and the mitochondrial ATP transporter SLC25A4. We will test our overall hypothesis that disease-specific changes of cardiac function and metabolism are elicited by interaction of crucial cardiomyocyte specific RPBs with target RNAs.
