SRSF1 is involved in alternative mRNA splicing in granulosa cell survival

Granulosa cells abnormalities are one of the characteristics of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). Abnormal expression of serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 1 (SRSF1) can causes a variety of diseases, but the role of SRSF1 in mouse granulosa cells has been poorly reported. In this study, we found that SRSF1 was expressed in the nuclei of both mouse oocytes and granulosa cells. Specific knockout of SRSF1 in granulosa cells was performed using Foxl2-creERT2 mice, and morphological staining showed that follicular development was blocked. In addition, granulosa cell proliferation decreased and cell apoptosis increased. The differential gene Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of RNA-Seq results showed abnormal expression of DNA repair, cell killing and other signaling pathways. Alternative splicing (AS) analysis showed that SRSF1 affected DNA damage in granulosa cells by regulating genes related to DNA repair. In conclusion, SRSF1 in granulosa cells affects female reproduction by controlling the development of follicles through regulating granulosa cell DNA repair related genes. Overall design: SRSF1 was knocked out in ovarian granulosa cells, and 9dpp ovaries were taken to analyze and compare the gene expression profiles of RNA-Seq data between WT and knockout groups.