Serum Response Factor Binding Protein 1 (SRFBP1)

Using yeast 2-hybrid analysis with sequences of serum response factor (SRF) as bait, Zhang et al. (2004) identified SRFBP1, which they called p49/STRAP, from EML cDNA and human heart cDNA libraries and subsequently cloned full-length mouse and human SRFBP1 cDNAs from cardiac libraries. The deduced 427-amino acid human protein shares 67% sequence identity with the mouse homolog. Northern blot analysis of human tissues detected a 2.2-kb SRFBP1 transcript with highest expression in heart and skeletal muscle, moderate expression in placenta, liver, kidney, and pancreas, and lowest expression in brain and lung. Expression was higher in adult than in fetal heart. Transgenic mice with cardiomyopathy showed a 4-fold increase in Srfbp1 mRNA levels in the heart compared to control mice.