Protein pelota homolog is a protein that in humans is encoded by the PELO gene. This gene encodes a protein which contains a conserved nuclear localization signal. The encoded protein may have a role in spermatogenesis, cell cycle control, and in meiotic cell division. In yeasts, the Dom34-Hbs1 complex (with ABCE1) that it forms is responsible for reactivating ribosomes and for recovering those stuck on mRNAs. It is a paralog of the release factor eRF1.