Nelfb - negative elongation factor complex member B

This gene encodes subunit B of a metazoan-specific, four-subunit protein complex that regulates promoter-proximal pausing of RNA polymerase II. RNA polymerase II pausing is thought to be important for coordination of gene transcription during embryonic development and stress responses. Consistently, disruption of this gene in mouse causes inner cell mass deficiency and embryonic lethality. In addition, this gene is required for maintenance of mouse embryonic stem cells by preventing expression of developmental genes. In adult mice, conditional deletion of this gene results in cardiomyopathy and impaired response to cardiac stress. Multiple protein isoforms are encoded through the use of a non-AUG (CUG) initiation codon and an alternative downstream AUG initiation codon. In addition, alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2015]