Generally, a 200 amino acid protein domain associated with the cell and RNA splicing. The tripartite domain has a single RNA-binding site, a KH module of different length (2–14) and flanked by QUA1 (80) and QUA2 (30) amino acid sequences. These complexes have been detected in a wide range of eukaryotic organisms and they appear to be regulators of translation. STAR family proteins may repress tra-2 and cause masculinization in females.  Sam 68,  sex determination; Stoss O et al 2001 J Biol Chem 276:8665.