The Fox-1 family of RNA-binding proteins is evolutionarily conserved, and regulates tissue-specific alternative splicing in metazoa. Fox-1 recognizes a (U)GCAUG stretch in regulated exons or in flanking introns. The protein binds to the C-terminus of ataxin-2 and may contribute to the restricted pathology of spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2). Ataxin-2 is the product of the SCA2 gene which causes familial neurodegenerative diseases. Fox-1 and ataxin-2 are both localized in the trans-Golgi network. Several alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene.