NF-kappa-B-activating protein is a protein that in humans is encoded by the NKAP gene. NKAP is a nuclear protein that is essential for T cell maturation. NKAP physically associates with histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3). NKAP has also been identified as an RNA-binding protein that localizes to nuclear speckles and associates with RNA-binding and splicing factors, with evidence supporting a role in pre-mRNA splicing and RNA processing. NKAP is also required for normal hematopoiesis and the maintenance of hematopoietic progenitor cells; loss of NKAP can induce cellular senescence or cell death. The interaction between NKAP and HDAC3 is required for hematopoietic stem cell maintenance and survival. Pathogenic variants in NKAP have been associated with an X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder, Hackmann–Di Donato syndrome. NKAP variants have additionally been associated with congenital heart defects, with the p.Arg330Cys variant reported to alter NKAP nuclear localization and impair its interaction with HDAC3.
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