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GeneE
10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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ASF1A
anti-silencing function 1A histone chaperone
Chromosome 6 · 6q22.31
NCBI Gene: 25842Ensembl: ENSG00000111875.9HGNC: HGNC:20995UniProt: Q9Y294
131PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
DNA RepairTranscription Factor
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
DNA repairnucleosome assemblychromatinnucleusneurodegenerative diseaseintelligenceschizophreniamathematical ability
✦AI Summary

ASF1A is a histone chaperone that facilitates histone deposition, exchange, and removal during nucleosome assembly and disassembly 1. It cooperates with CAF-1 in replication-dependent chr6 assembly and with HIRA in replication-independent chr6 assembly 2. ASF1A recognizes newly synthesized histone H3-H4 dimers bearing specific modifications (H3K9me1K14ac and H4K5K12ac marks) and mediates their nuclear import via importin-4 34. The protein promotes homologous recombination-mediated repair of double-strand breaks by mediating histone replacement and recruiting the MMS22L-TONSL complex and RAD51 5. ASF1A is essential for senescence-associated heterochromatin foci (SAHF) formation and senescence-induced cell cycle exit 6. Clinically, ASF1A expression associates with cancer outcomes. Elevated H3-H4 histone chaperone expression, including ASF1A, correlates with poor hepatocellular carcinoma prognosis and enhanced cell cycle progression 7. Notably, ASF1A loss in tumor cells sensitizes KRAS-mutant lung adenocarcinoma to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy by promoting M1-like macrophage polarization and T-cell activation 8. In contrast, reduced ASF1A expression in healthy aging families associates with familial longevity and healthy aging phenotypes 9, suggesting context-dependent roles in disease and aging.

Sources cited
1
ASF1A facilitates histone deposition and exchange during nucleosome assembly and disassembly
PMID: 10759893
2
ASF1A cooperates with CAF-1 for replication-dependent and HIRA for replication-independent chromatin assembly
PMID: 11897662
3
ASF1A recognizes newly synthesized histones with specific modification marks and mediates H3-H4 nuclear import
PMID: 21454524
4
ASF1A modulates histone H3/H4 binding to importin-4 in the nuclear import complex
PMID: 29408485
5
ASF1A promotes homologous recombination-mediated repair of double-strand breaks via histone replacement
PMID: 29478807
6
ASF1A is required for SAHF formation and senescence-associated cell cycle exit
PMID: 15621527
7
ASF1A upregulation in hepatocellular carcinoma associates with poor prognosis and enhanced cell cycle progression
PMID: 38561384
8
ASF1A loss in tumor cells sensitizes lung adenocarcinoma to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy via macrophage polarization
PMID: 31744829
9
Reduced ASF1A expression associates with familial longevity and healthy aging
PMID: 22247756
Disease Associationsⓘ20
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.26Weak
intelligenceOpen Targets
0.23Weak
schizophreniaOpen Targets
0.20Weak
mathematical abilityOpen Targets
0.10Weak
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
Abnormal erythrocyte morphologyOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
actinic keratosisOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
cardiomyopathyOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
chronic myelogenous leukemiaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
Abruptio PlacentaeOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
male reproductive organ cancerOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
tooth diseaseOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
hyperinsulinism due to INSR deficiencyOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
cancerOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
colorectal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
breast cancerOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
hyperinsulinism due to glucokinase deficiencyOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
hyperinsulinism-hyperammonemia syndromeOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
exercise-induced hyperinsulinismOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
H3-3BProtein interaction100%H3C12Protein interaction100%TLK2Protein interaction100%H3-4Protein interaction100%H4C6Protein interaction100%NASPProtein interaction100%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Brain
100%
Heart
77%
Bone Marrow
58%
Ovary
40%
Lung
32%
Liver
31%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
ASF1AH3-3BH3C12TLK2H3-4H4C6NASP
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB6ZUF · 1.80 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.57Moderately Constrained
pLIⓘ
0.92Intolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.25 [0.12–0.57]
RankingsWhere ASF1A stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #3,545of 20,598
    Most Researched131 · top quartile
  • #3,759of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.57 · top quartile
Genes detectedASF1A
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
PMID: 31744829
Cancer Discov · 2020
1.00
2
Mechanism of ASF1 engagement by CDAN1.
PMID: 40091041
Nat Commun · 2025
0.90
3
Structure of a human ASF1a-HIRA complex and insights into specificity of histone chaperone complex assembly.
PMID: 16980972
Nat Struct Mol Biol · 2006
0.80
4
Human UBN1 is an ortholog of yeast Hpc2p and has an essential role in the HIRA/ASF1a chromatin-remodeling pathway in senescent cells.
PMID: 19029251
Mol Cell Biol · 2009
0.70
5
Identification of ASF1A and HJURP by global H3-H4 histone chaperone analysis as a prognostic two-gene model in hepatocellular carcinoma.
PMID: 38561384
Sci Rep · 2024
0.60