| Modification Notes |
SART-1 (squamous cell carcinoma antigen recognized by T cells), also known as Ara1, HOMS1 or Snu66, is a ubiquitously expressed protein that is involved in mRNA splicing and cell proliferation. The gene encoding SART-1 is posttranscriptionally modified to produce two proteins: SART-1(800), which is the native transcript and is localized to the nucleus of proliferating cells, and SART-1(259), which is expressed in the cytosol of epithelial cancers. While both proteins are involved in regulating cell proliferation, SART-1(259) is also an essential component in the spliceosome C assembly pathway playing a role in pre-mRNA splicing. SART-1(259) possesses a tumor-rejection antigen that can induce restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes in cancer patients, suggesting a possible role in immunotherapy. Additionally, the polymorphic variation within the SART-1 gene may be a cause of atopy, an allergic hypersensitivity characterized by eczema, asthma and allergic conjunctivitis. |