Functions as a component of the nuclear pore complex (NPC). NPC components, collectively referred to as nucleoporins (NUPs), can play the role of both NPC structural components and of docking or interaction partners for transiently associated nuclear transport factors. Active directional transport is assured by both, a Phe-Gly (FG) repeat affinity gradient for these transport factors across the NPC and a transport cofactor concentration gradient across the nuclear envelope (GSP1 and GSP2 GTPases associated predominantly with GTP in the nucleus, with GDP in the cytoplasm). NSP1 plays an important role in several nuclear transport pathways including poly(A)+ RNA, tRNA, pre-ribosome, signal recognition particle (SRP), and protein transport.