This gene encodes a predicted 75-kDa polypeptide with high sequence and structure homology to yeast Gle1p, which is nuclear protein with a leucine-rich nuclear export sequence essential for poly(A)+RNA export. Inhibition of human GLE1L by microinjection of antibodies against GLE1L in HeLa cells resulted in inhibition of poly(A)+RNA export. Immunoflourescence studies show that GLE1L is localized at the nuclear pore complexes. This localization suggests that GLE1L may act at a terminal step in the export of mature RNA messages to the cytoplasm. Two alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene.