Negative elongation factor complex member A (NELFA)

Negative elongation factor complex member A (NELFA) is an essential subunit of the NELF complex, which consists of four proteins (NELF-A, NELF-B, NELF-C/NELF-D, and NELF-E). NELFA regulates transcription elongation by RNA polymerase II, enforcing promoter-proximal pausing and coordinating mRNA processing, especially at histone gene loci[1][5][13]. It is ubiquitously expressed, with higher levels in fetal tissues, and is mapped to chromosome 4p16.3, the critical region for Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome[4][8][14]. NELFA's modulation—via phosphorylation, SUMOylation, or interaction with DSIF—controls transcriptional output in response to developmental and environmental cues. It is implicated in disease contexts including cancer, due to its immunogenic properties, and congenital disorders associated with 4p deletions (WHS), and may have relevance for HIV-1 latency[2][7][10].

Other names

Negative elongation factor ANELF-AWHSC2Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome candidate 2 proteinP/OKcl.15NELFA