This gene belongs to the splicing factor
SR family of genes . U2AF1 is a subunit of the U2 Auxiliary Factor complex alongside a larger subunit,
U2AF2. U2AF1 is a non-snRNP protein required for the binding of
U2 snRNP to the
pre-mRNA branch site. This gene encodes a small (~35 kDa) subunit which plays a critical role in RNA splicing by recognizing and binding to AG nucleotides at the 3’ splice site to facilitate
spliceosome assembly.
Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding different
isoforms have been identified .
Somatic mutations in
U2AF1 have been found in a range of human cancers, with a distinctive pattern of these mutations at the
zinc fingers implicating a functional role under selection. In lung cancers, these mutations affect alternative splicing of several transcripts, including oncogenic
ROS1 fusions. U2af1 conditional deletion in mouse hematopoietic system leads to early lethality suggesting its important for
hematopoietic stem cell maintenance and function {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41375-020-01116-x }. == Interactions ==