AU-rich element
Adenylate-uridylate-rich elements (AU-rich elements; AREs) are nucleotide sequences found in the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of many messenger RNAs (mRNAs) that code for proto-oncogenes, nuclear transcription factors, and cytokines. AREs are one of the most common determinants of RNA stability in mammalian cells and can also modulate mRNA translation.