Alpha-Thalassemia/Mental Retardation Syndrome, X-Linked (aTRX)

ATRX contains an ATPase/helicase domain, and thus it belongs to the SWI/SNF family of chromatin remodeling proteins. The mutations of this gene are associated with an X-linked mental retardation (XLMR) syndrome most often accompanied by alpha-thalassemia (ATRX) syndrome. These mutations have been shown to cause diverse changes in the pattern of DNA methylation, which may provide a link between chromatin remodeling, DNA methylation, and gene expression in developmental processes. This protein is found to undergo cell cycle-dependent phosphorylation, which regulates its nuclear matrix and chromatin association, and suggests its involvement in the gene regulation at interphase and chromosomal segregation in mitosis.