Serum Response Factor (SRF) is a transcription factor that plays crucial roles in various biological processes. It controls gene transcription, regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, and is involved in pathways related to myogenesis, cytoskeletal organization, and cell motility. SRF's function is mediated by a variety of co-factors, and its activity is important for embryonic development, tissue homeostasis, and disease pathogenesis. Genetic models, such as KO or CKO mouse models, have been instrumental in studying SRF's functions [2,3,4,5].

In liver cirrhosis, the SRF/MRTF-A complex is key in hepatic fibrogenesis. Induction of fibrotic pathways leads to MRTF-A translocating into the nucleus to form the active complex, which promotes the expression of fibrotic proteins and extracellular matrix components. Silencing or inhibiting MRTF-A can impede hepatic stellate cell transdifferentiation and slow down extracellular matrix deposition [1]. In a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, deletion of SRF in motoneurons of SOD1G93A mice led to an earlier disease onset, accompanied by mild neuroinflammation and neuromuscular synapse degeneration, along with impaired induction of autophagy-encoding genes [5].

In conclusion, SRF is essential for multiple biological processes. Model-based research, especially KO mouse models, has revealed its role in diseases like liver cirrhosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Understanding SRF's functions provides potential therapeutic targets for these and other related diseases [1,5].

References:

1. Al-Hetty, Hussein Riyadh Abdul Kareem, Ismaeel, Ghufran Lutfi, Mohammad, Walid Theib, Saleh, Marwan Mahmood, Turki Jalil, Abduladheem. 2023. SRF/MRTF-A and liver cirrhosis: Pathologic associations. In Journal of digestive diseases, 23, 614-619. doi:10.1111/1751-2980.13150. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36601855/

2. Deshpande, Anushka, Shetty, Prithviraj Manohar Vijaya, Frey, Norbert, Rangrez, Ashraf Yusuf. 2022. SRF: a seriously responsible factor in cardiac development and disease. In Journal of biomedical science, 29, 38. doi:10.1186/s12929-022-00820-3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35681202/

3. Tabuchi, Akiko, Ihara, Daisuke. 2022. SRF in Neurochemistry: Overview of Recent Advances in Research on the Nervous System. In Neurochemical research, 47, 2545-2557. doi:10.1007/s11064-022-03632-x. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35668335/

4. Tsaytler, Pavel, Blaess, Gaby, Scholze-Wittler, Manuela, Koch, Frederic, Herrmann, Bernhard G. 2024. SRF promotes long-range chromatin loop formation and stem cell pluripotency. In Cell reports, 43, 114846. doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114846. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39392751/

5. Song, Jialei, Dikwella, Natalie, Sinske, Daniela, Roselli, Francesco, Knöll, Bernd. 2023. SRF deletion results in earlier disease onset in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In JCI insight, 8, . doi:10.1172/jci.insight.167694. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37339001/