Members of the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) H protein family, H, H, F, and 2H9, are involved in pre-mRNA processing. We analyzed the assembly of these proteins from splicing extracts onto four RNA regulatory elements as follows: a high affinity hnRNP A1-binding site (WA1), a sequence involved in Rev-dependent export (p17gag INS), an exonic splicing silencer from the -tropomyosin gene, and an intronic splicing regulator (downstream control sequence (DCS) from the c-src gene. The entire family binds the WA1, instability (INS), and -tropomyosin substrates, and the core-binding site for each is a run of three G residues followed by an A. Transfer of small regions containing this sequence to a substrate lacking hnRNP H binding activity is sufficient to promote binding of all family members. The c-src DCS has been shown to assemble hnRNP H, not hnRNP F, from HeLa cell extracts, and we show that hnRNP 2H9 does not bind this element. The DCS contains five G residues followed by a C. Mutation of the C to an A changes the specificity of the DCS from a substrate that binds only hnRNP H/H to a binding site for all hnRNP H family members. We conclude that the sequence GGGA is recognized by all hnRNP H family proteins.Some proteins of the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) 1 class were initially described as components of a nucleosome-like structure that protects and organizes nascent RNA polymerase II transcripts (1-3). Our understanding of hnRNP functions has broadened from this purely structural vision to include multiple aspects of mRNA biogenesis such as transcription, splicing, capping, polyadenylation, nuclear transport, and mRNA stability. More than 30 hnRNPs have been identified so far. Many hnRNPs have a modular structure characterized by one or more RNA binding domains and by one or more auxiliary domains that are frequently enriched in a few amino acids, mainly glycines. The RNA recognition motif (RRM), the arginine-rich motif, the KH domain, and the RGG box are some of the main motifs that are found in hnRNP proteins (4).The precise roles of hnRNP proteins in gene expression are likely to be reflected by their RNA binding specificity. Therefore, it is important to have a clear understanding of the RNA binding specificities and affinities of the different family members. Early studies demonstrated that several hnRNPs have affinities for immobilized ribohomopolymers such as poly(G) bound by hnRNPs E, H, F, and M, poly(C) bound by hnRNPs K and J, and poly(U) bound by hnRNPs C and M (5). Subsequently, several hnRNPs were observed to bind specific RNA sequences by UV-mediated cross-linking. Furthermore, utilizing a selection and amplification approach from pools of random RNAs, high affinity binding sequences for hnRNPs A1 (6) and C (7), have been identified. The binding properties of hnRNP A1 are the best characterized so far. Several reports (1, 8 -12) have shown that hnRNP A1 and other members of the hnRNP A/B group (hnRNP A1b, A2, and B1) share common RNA substrate specificities...