LSM1 encodes a member of the LSm family of RNA-binding proteins. LSm proteins form stable heteromers that bind specifically to the 3'-terminal oligo(U) tract of U6 snRNA and may play a role in pre-mRNA splicing by mediating U4/U6 snRNP formation. Increased expression of LSM1 may play a role in cellular transformation and the progression of several malignancies including lung cancer, mesothelioma and breast cancer. Alternatively spliced transcript variants have been observed for LSM1, and a pseudogene of LSM1 is located on the short arm of chromosome 9.
