KHSRP binds to the dendritic targeting element and may play a role in mRNA trafficking. It is part of a ternary complex that binds to the downstream control sequence (DCS) of the pre-mRNA. KHSRP mediates exon inclusion in transcripts that are subject to tissue-specific alternative splicing. It may interact with single-stranded DNA from the far-upstream element (FUSE).It is also involved in degradation of inherently unstable mRNAs that contain AU-rich elements (AREs) in their 3'-UTR, possibly by recruiting degradation machinery to ARE-containing mRNAs.