actin alpha 1, skeletal muscle
Last updated 3 Mar 2023
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The ACTA1 gene provides instructions for making a protein called skeletal alpha (α)-actin, which is part of the actin protein family. Actin proteins are important for cell movement and the tensing of muscle fibers (muscle contraction). These proteins also help maintain the cytoskeleton, which is the structural framework that determines cell shape and organizes cell contents.
Normal function
The ACTA1 gene provides instructions for making a protein called skeletal alpha (α)-actin, which is part of the actin protein family. Actin proteins are important for cell movement and the tensing of muscle fibers (muscle contraction). These proteins also help maintain the cytoskeleton, which is the structural framework that determines cell shape and organizes cell contents.
Skeletal α-actin plays an important role in skeletal muscles, which are muscles that the body uses for movement. Within skeletal muscle cells, skeletal α-actin is an essential component of structures called sarcomeres. Sarcomeres are composed of thin filaments made up of actin and thick filaments made up of another protein called myosin. Attachment (binding) and release of the overlapping thick and thin filaments allows them to move relative to each other so that the muscles can contract.
Conditions referring to this gene or chromosome
Other names
ACTA
ACTS_HUMAN
alpha skeletal muscle actin
ASMA
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Further reading and references
- actin alpha 1, skeletal muscle; MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
- Agrawal PB, Strickland CD, Midgett C, Morales A, Newburger DE, Poulos MA, Tomczak KK, Ryan MM, Iannaccone ST, Crawford TO, Laing NG, Beggs AH. Heterogeneity of nemaline myopathy cases with skeletal muscle alpha-actin gene mutations. Ann Neurol. 2004 Jul;56(1):86-96. doi: 10.1002/ana.20157.
- Castiglioni C, Cassandrini D, Fattori F, Bellacchio E, D'Amico A, Alvarez K, Gejman R, Diaz J, Santorelli FM, Romero NB, Bertini E, Bevilacqua JA. Muscle magnetic resonance imaging and histopathology in ACTA1-related congenital nemaline myopathy. Muscle Nerve. 2014 Dec;50(6):1011-6. doi: 10.1002/mus.24353. Epub 2014 Oct 30.
- Clarke NF, Ilkovski B, Cooper S, Valova VA, Robinson PJ, Nonaka I, Feng JJ, Marston S, North K. The pathogenesis of ACTA1-related congenital fiber type disproportion. Ann Neurol. 2007 Jun;61(6):552-61. doi: 10.1002/ana.21112.
- Clayton JS, Johari M, Taylor RL, Dofash L, Allan G, Monahan G, Houweling PJ, Ravenscroft G, Laing NG. An Update on Reported Variants in the Skeletal Muscle alpha-Actin (ACTA1) Gene. Hum Mutat. 2024 Oct 28;2024:6496088. doi: 10.1155/2024/6496088. eCollection 2024.
- Domazetovska A, Ilkovski B, Cooper ST, Ghoddusi M, Hardeman EC, Minamide LS, Gunning PW, Bamburg JR, North KN. Mechanisms underlying intranuclear rod formation. Brain. 2007 Dec;130(Pt 12):3275-84. doi: 10.1093/brain/awm247. Epub 2007 Oct 10.
- Feng JJ, Marston S. Genotype-phenotype correlations in ACTA1 mutations that cause congenital myopathies. Neuromuscul Disord. 2009 Jan;19(1):6-16. doi: 10.1016/j.nmd.2008.09.005. Epub 2008 Oct 30.
- Hung RM, Yoon G, Hawkins CE, Halliday W, Biggar D, Vajsar J. Cap myopathy caused by a mutation of the skeletal alpha-actin gene ACTA1. Neuromuscul Disord. 2010 Apr;20(4):238-40. doi: 10.1016/j.nmd.2010.01.011. Epub 2010 Mar 19.
- Ilkovski B, Clement S, Sewry C, North KN, Cooper ST. Defining alpha-skeletal and alpha-cardiac actin expression in human heart and skeletal muscle explains the absence of cardiac involvement in ACTA1 nemaline myopathy. Neuromuscul Disord. 2005 Dec;15(12):829-35. doi: 10.1016/j.nmd.2005.08.004. Epub 2005 Nov 8.
- Kaimaktchiev V, Goebel H, Laing N, Narus M, Weeks D, Nixon R. Intranuclear nemaline rod myopathy. Muscle Nerve. 2006 Sep;34(3):369-72. doi: 10.1002/mus.20521.
- Koy A, Ilkovski B, Laing N, North K, Weis J, Neuen-Jacob E, Mayatepek E, Voit T. Nemaline myopathy with exclusively intranuclear rods and a novel mutation in ACTA1 (Q139H). Neuropediatrics. 2007 Dec;38(6):282-6. doi: 10.1055/s-2008-1065356.
- Laing NG, Clarke NF, Dye DE, Liyanage K, Walker KR, Kobayashi Y, Shimakawa S, Hagiwara T, Ouvrier R, Sparrow JC, Nishino I, North KN, Nonaka I. Actin mutations are one cause of congenital fibre type disproportion. Ann Neurol. 2004 Nov;56(5):689-94. doi: 10.1002/ana.20260.
- Laing NG, Dye DE, Wallgren-Pettersson C, Richard G, Monnier N, Lillis S, Winder TL, Lochmuller H, Graziano C, Mitrani-Rosenbaum S, Twomey D, Sparrow JC, Beggs AH, Nowak KJ. Mutations and polymorphisms of the skeletal muscle alpha-actin gene (ACTA1). Hum Mutat. 2009 Sep;30(9):1267-77. doi: 10.1002/humu.21059.
- Nowak KJ, Sewry CA, Navarro C, Squier W, Reina C, Ricoy JR, Jayawant SS, Childs AM, Dobbie JA, Appleton RE, Mountford RC, Walker KR, Clement S, Barois A, Muntoni F, Romero NB, Laing NG. Nemaline myopathy caused by absence of alpha-skeletal muscle actin. Ann Neurol. 2007 Feb;61(2):175-84. doi: 10.1002/ana.21035.
- Ochala J. Thin filament proteins mutations associated with skeletal myopathies: defective regulation of muscle contraction. J Mol Med (Berl). 2008 Nov;86(11):1197-204. doi: 10.1007/s00109-008-0380-9. Epub 2008 Jun 24.
- Ogasawara M, Nishino I. A review of major causative genes in congenital myopathies. J Hum Genet. 2023 Mar;68(3):215-225. doi: 10.1038/s10038-022-01045-w. Epub 2022 Jun 7.
- Ross JE, Flowers M, McNulty S, Patel M, Yang H, Palus B, Abdelmoneim Elnagheeb M, Eng L, Owens E, Beggs AH, Bertini E, D'Amico A, Donkervoort S, Dowling J, Fattori F, Ferreiro A, Genetti CA, Gonorazky H, Lek M, Lindy A, Medne L, Muntoni F, Pajusalu S, Pelin K, Rendu J, Sarkozy A, Vatta M, Winder T, Yoon G, Bonnemann CG, Ceyhan-Birsoy O. Clinical validity of congenital myopathy genes determined by the ClinGen Congenital Myopathies Expert Panel. J Neuromuscul Dis. 2025 Nov;12(6):778-792. doi: 10.1177/22143602251339369. Epub 2025 Jun 10.
- Schroder JM, Durling H, Laing N. Actin myopathy with nemaline bodies, intranuclear rods, and a heterozygous mutation in ACTA1 (Asp154Asn). Acta Neuropathol. 2004 Sep;108(3):250-6. doi: 10.1007/s00401-004-0888-1. Epub 2004 Jun 24.
- Sparrow JC, Nowak KJ, Durling HJ, Beggs AH, Wallgren-Pettersson C, Romero N, Nonaka I, Laing NG. Muscle disease caused by mutations in the skeletal muscle alpha-actin gene (ACTA1). Neuromuscul Disord. 2003 Sep;13(7-8):519-31. doi: 10.1016/s0960-8966(03)00101-9.
- Wallefeld W, Krause S, Nowak KJ, Dye D, Horvath R, Molnar Z, Szabo M, Hashimoto K, Reina C, De Carlos J, Rosell J, Cabello A, Navarro C, Nishino I, Lochmuller H, Laing NG. Severe nemaline myopathy caused by mutations of the stop codon of the skeletal muscle alpha actin gene (ACTA1). Neuromuscul Disord. 2006 Oct;16(9-10):541-7. doi: 10.1016/j.nmd.2006.07.018. Epub 2006 Sep 1.
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