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Potential mechanisms of action for the Musashi family of proteins. (a) Repression of translation. When Musashi binds to consensus sequences in the 3’ untranslated region (UTR) of a target messenger RNA (mRNA) (star), it can also interact with poly-A binding protein (PABP) via a separate domain in its C-terminal half. This interaction competes with eIF4G (not shown) for PABP, resulting in blockade of ribosome assembly and translation. (b) Activation of translation. When Musashi is bound to the poly(A) polymerase GLD2, GLD2-mediated polyadenylation stabilizes mRNA targets, resulting in increased translation. (c) Enhancement of LIN28 function. Musashi1 associates with LIN28 in an RNA-dependent fashion in the cytoplasm. Some evidence suggests that Musashi1 can influence nuclear import of LIN28, potentially via interaction with Importin-α. In the nucleus (purple circle), Musashi1 binds to LIN28 in an RNA-independent manner and may enhance the inhibition of microRNA processing.