The steroid receptor RNA activator gene (SRA1) produces both a functional RNA (SRA) and a protein (SRAP), both of which can modulate gene transcription []. SRA-RNA coactivates steroid hormone receptor-mediated transcription as well as coactivating nuclear receptors, such as the androgen, estrogen, progesterone and glucocorticoid receptors []. SRA/SRAP stimulate proliferation and apoptosis, and regulate cancer cell motility [, ]. It has been suggested that SRAP may prevent the transcriptional regulatory activity of SRA1 gene by binding a specific SRA stem-loop [], though other studies have failed to detect any interaction between SRAP and SRA [].
