The protein encoded by this gene is a member of a family of actin-related proteins (ARPs) which share significant amino acid sequence identity to conventional actins. Both actins and ARPs have an actin fold, which is an ATP-binding cleft, as a common feature. The ARPs are involved in diverse cellular processes, including vesicular transport, spindle orientation, nuclear migration and chromatin remodeling. This gene encodes a subunit of the BAF (BRG1/brm-associated factor) complex in mammals, which is functionally related to SWI/SNF complex in S. cerevisiae and Drosophila; the latter is thought to facilitate transcriptional activation of specific genes by antagonizing chromatin-mediated transcriptional repression. This subunit may be involved in the regulation of genes by structural modulation of their chromatin, specifically in the brain.[6]
^Oma Y, Nishimori K, Harata M (February 2003). "The brain-specific actin-related protein ArpN alpha interacts with the transcriptional co-repressor CtBP". Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 301 (2): 521–528. doi:10.1016/S0006-291X(02)03073-5. PMID12565893.
Kuroda Y, Oma Y, Nishimori K, Ohta T, Harata M (2003). "Brain-specific expression of the nuclear actin-related protein ArpNalpha and its involvement in mammalian SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex". Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 299 (2): 328–334. doi:10.1016/S0006-291X(02)02637-2. PMID12437990.
Oma Y, Nishimori K, Harata M (2003). "The brain-specific actin-related protein ArpN alpha interacts with the transcriptional co-repressor CtBP". Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 301 (2): 521–528. doi:10.1016/S0006-291X(02)03073-5. PMID12565893.
