Exportin-5 (XPO5) is a protein that, in humans, is encoded by the XPO5 gene. In eukaryotic cells, the primary purpose of XPO5 is to export pre-microRNA (also known as pre-miRNA) out of the nucleus and into the cytoplasm, for further processing by the Dicer enzyme. Once in the cytoplasm, the microRNA (also known as miRNA) can act as a gene silencer by regulating translation of mRNA. Although XPO5 is primarily involved in the transport of pre-miRNA, it has also been reported to transport tRNA.
Much research on XPO5 is ongoing. miRNA is a prominent research topic due to its potential use as a therapeutic, with several miRNA-based drugs already in use.
