
Actins are highly conserved proteins that are involved in various types of cell motility| and maintenance of the cytoskeleton. In vertebrates| three main groups of actin isoforms| alpha| beta and gamma have been identified. The alpha actins are found in muscle tissues and are a major constituent of the contractile apparatus. The beta and gamma actins co-exist in most cell types as components of the cytoskeleton| and as mediators of internal cell motility. Actin| gamma 1| encoded by this gene| is a cytoplasmic actin found in non-muscle cells. Mutations in this gene are associated with DFNA20/26| a subtype of autosomal dominant non-syndromic sensorineural progressive hearing loss. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants.
