# SRSF1
**SRSF1** (serine and arginine rich splicing factor 1), formerly known as ASF/SF2 or SRp30a, is a human [RNA-binding protein](https://www.edgepedia.org/rna-binding-protein) of the [SR protein](https://www.edgepedia.org/sr-protein) family that binds exonic splicing enhancers and promotes spliceosome (cellular machine that removes introns from RNA) assembly, while also acting in mRNA export, nonsense-mediated decay, and translation. The gene (Gene ID 6426, HGNC:10780, MIM:600812) is protein-coding and located in humans, with multiple transcript variants and a pseudogene on chromosome 13.[1](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/6426) Human SF2/ASF was the first SR protein to be identified.[2](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0024542)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Gene | SRSF1, Gene ID 6426, HGNC:10780, MIM:600812; protein-coding; aliases ASF, SF2, SFRS1, SF2p33, SRp30a[1](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/6426) |
| Protein size | 248 amino acids: two N-terminal RNA recognition motifs (RRM1, RRM2) and a C-terminal arginine/serine-rich (RS) domain[3](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1855257/) • [4](https://www.pnas.org/doi/pdf/10.1073/pnas.2322974121) |
| Family | One of 12 canonical human SR proteins (SRSF1-12), defined by one or two RRMs followed by an RS domain of at least 50 residues with more than 40% RS content[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3235224/) |
| Splicing role | Binds exonic splicing enhancers, recruits U1 snRNP via U1-70K, and can activate or repress splicing depending on its phosphorylation state[1](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/6426) • [6](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pro.70070) |
| Phosphorylation | SRPK1 phosphorylates 8-12 consecutive serines in the RS tail in the cytoplasm; further phosphorylation by SRPK1 and CLK1 in the nucleus yields 18-22 phosphoserines[6](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pro.70070) |
| Other functions | Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, mRNA export, translation (recruiting mTORC1 to bound mRNAs via RRM2), and genome stability[7](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11110342/) • [6](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pro.70070) |
| Cancer link | Upregulated in human breast tumors; overexpression transforms mammary cells and deregulates hundreds of alternative splicing events[8](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4597910/) |
| Expression | Ubiquitous, with highest reported expression in lymph node (RPKM 44.8) and appendix (RPKM 40.8)[1](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/6426) |
## Structure
SRSF1 is a 248-residue protein with two RNA recognition motifs (RRM1 and RRM2) at its amino-terminal end, followed by a linker and a C-terminal RS domain of consecutive RS or SR dipeptides, the defining architecture of the SR protein family.[3](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1855257/) • [4](https://www.pnas.org/doi/pdf/10.1073/pnas.2322974121) The original cDNA analysis described an 80-residue RNA-binding domain at the [N-terminus](https://www.edgepedia.org/n-terminus) and a 50-residue C-terminal region that is 80% serine plus arginine; recombinant SRSF1 produced in E. coli was sufficient to activate splicing in vitro and switch 5' splice-site utilization.[3](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1855257/) The RS tail is largely unstructured, and its phosphorylation state changes which parts of RRM1 it contacts: when unphosphorylated, the RS tail interacts with the RRM1 helices that mediate protein-protein interactions, and phosphorylation shifts it toward the RNA-binding face, exposing the U1-70K and PP1 binding sites.[6](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pro.70070)
RRM1 preferentially binds cytosine-containing motifs, while RRM2 primarily recognizes guanine-rich motifs such as GGA; genome-wide mapping indicates SRSF1 generally prefers GA-rich sequences, in contrast to SRSF2, which recognizes a GC-rich core.[6](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pro.70070) • [9](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3640356/) SRSF1 also binds U1 snRNA directly through stem-loop 3, providing a second route of recruitment to the pre-mRNA.[4](https://www.pnas.org/doi/pdf/10.1073/pnas.2322974121)
## Role in splicing
SRSF1 was isolated independently as SF2, a factor restoring splicing to inactive S100 extracts, and as ASF, a factor affecting 5' splice-site selection.[10](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3566305/) In spliceosome assembly it performs two functions: binding exonic splicing enhancers through its RRMs and mediating protein-protein interactions through its RS domain, recruiting the U1 snRNP to the 5' splice site via U1-70K.[6](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pro.70070) Its phosphorylation is regulated by two kinase families, SRPK and CLK: SRPK1 partially phosphorylates the RS tail in the cytoplasm, which enables import into the nucleus by transportin-SR, and further phosphorylation by SRPK1 and CLK1 produces the hyperphosphorylated form needed for U1-70K interaction; partial dephosphorylation by PP1 is then required to activate the spliceosome.[6](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pro.70070) A proximity-labeling study also uncovered a direct interaction between SRSF1 and the spliceosomal RNA helicase DDX23 (PRP28), with implications for spliceosome assembly.[4](https://www.pnas.org/doi/pdf/10.1073/pnas.2322974121)
The position of SRSF1 binding on an exon determines the outcome. A Bayesian analysis of RNA-seq data from breast-cancer-relevant MCF-10A cultures found that binding close to the 5' splice site generally promotes exon inclusion, whereas binding near the 3' splice site is associated with either exon skipping or inclusion.[8](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4597910/)
## Functions beyond splicing
SRSF1 acts at several stages of the mRNA lifecycle beyond spliceosome assembly, including transcription, mRNA export, nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, translation, and maintenance of genome stability.[6](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pro.70070) In the cytoplasm it can serve as an adapter for translation: SRSF1 binds mRNAs containing SRSF1-binding sites and recruits mTORC1 through its second RRM, promoting phosphorylation of 4E-BP, release of the cap-binding protein eIF4E, and activation of translation.[7](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11110342/) It also interacts with noncoding RNAs including lncRNA, circRNA, and microRNA.[7](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11110342/) In innate immunity, SRSF1 was identified as one of two RNA-binding proteins mediating LPS-induced alternative splicing of the MyD88 transcript, favoring exon 2 inclusion and production of the MyD88-L isoform.[11](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11001520/pdf/nihms-1968911.pdf)
## Role in cancer
SRSF1 is upregulated in human breast tumors, and its overexpression promotes transformation of mammary epithelial cells.[8](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4597910/) RNA-seq in a three-dimensional MCF-10A culture model identified and validated hundreds of endogenous SRSF1-regulated alternative splicing events, some of which are deregulated in human tumors; overexpressing one such isoform, the exon-9-included form of CASC4, increased acinar size and proliferation and decreased apoptosis, partially recapitulating SRSF1's oncogenic effects.[8](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4597910/) SRSF1 is also reported to be overexpressed in extranodal tumors and to act oncogenically through control of alternative splicing of tumor-related genes, including in multiple myeloma.[12](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10006196/pdf/41416_2022_Article_2124.pdf) Because SR protein phosphorylation is central to these activities, the SRPK and CLK kinases that phosphorylate SRSF1 have themselves become targets for therapeutic development.[6](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pro.70070)
Recent work extends these links beyond cancer: in asthma, SRSF1 levels were elevated in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cells of patients and negatively correlated with FOXP3 expression in regulatory T cells and with FEV1% predicted, and SRSF1 modulated the mTORC1/ULK1 axis in a mouse model, affecting Treg mitophagy and airway inflammation.[13](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1440-1681.70157)
## The SR protein family context
SRSF1 is the founding member of a family of 12 canonical human SR proteins, SRSF1 through SRSF12, defined structurally by one or two N-terminal RRMs followed by a downstream RS domain of at least 50 amino acids with more than 40% RS content.[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3235224/) Family members were once thought to be functionally redundant, since all can complement splicing-deficient S100 extracts, but binding studies show distinct RNA-binding profiles: SRSF1 and SRSF2 have overlapping but non-identical binding specificities, can compete for or cooperate on shared exons, and co-regulate other classes of splicing events.[9](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3640356/) • [14](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4268343/) SRSF1 is among the shuttling SR proteins, moving between nucleus and cytoplasm, and its depletion in C. elegans, where it has a single SR-protein homolog, is the only SR protein knockdown that arrests early embryonic development.[15](https://era.ed.ac.uk/bitstream/1842/31188/1/Haward2018.pdf)
## References
1. [SRSF1 serine and arginine rich splicing factor 1 [Homo sapiens], Gene, NCBI](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/6426)
2. [Comparative Analysis of Serine/Arginine-Rich Proteins across 27 Eukaryotes, PLOS One](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0024542)
3. [Primary structure of the human splicing factor ASF reveals similarities with Drosophila regulators, Cell (Ge, Zuo, Manley, 1991)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1855257/)
4. [SRSF1 interactome determined by proximity labeling reveals direct interaction with spliceosomal RNA helicase DDX23, PNAS](https://www.pnas.org/doi/pdf/10.1073/pnas.2322974121)
5. [Evolution of SR Protein and hnRNP Splicing Regulatory Factors, PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3235224/)
6. [Controlled by disorder: Phosphorylation modulates SRSF1 domain availability for spliceosome assembly, Protein Science (Fargason et al., 2025)](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pro.70070)
7. [SR proteins in cancer: function, regulation, and small inhibitor, PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11110342/)
8. [SRSF1-Regulated Alternative Splicing in Breast Cancer, PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4597910/)
9. [Genome-wide Analysis Reveals SR Protein Cooperation and Competition in Regulated Splicing, PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3640356/)
10. [Pick one, but be quick: 5' splice sites and the problems of too many choices, PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3566305/)
11. [RNA Binding Proteins that Mediate LPS-induced Alternative Splicing of the MyD88 Innate Immune Regulator, PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11001520/pdf/nihms-1968911.pdf)
12. [Dysregulation of alternative splicing contributes to multiple myeloma pathogenesis, PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10006196/pdf/41416_2022_Article_2124.pdf)
13. [Mechanistic Study of SRSF1-Mediated Inhibition of Treg Cell Function via the mTORC1/ULK1 Signalling Axis Through Mitophagy in Asthma, Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol (2026)](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1440-1681.70157)
14. [THE RNAissance Family: SR proteins as multifaceted regulators of gene expression, PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4268343/)
15. [Haward 2018, University of Edinburgh thesis on SRSF1 structure and nomenclature](https://era.ed.ac.uk/bitstream/1842/31188/1/Haward2018.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Life and health › Biological foundations › RNA and gene regulation › RNA processing, modification, and translation › Splicing and the spliceosome › SR proteins and splicing activators*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license