N-alpha-acetylation is among the most common post-translational protein modifications in eukaryotic cells. This process involves the transfer of an acetyl group from acetyl-coenzyme A to the alpha-amino group on a nascent polypeptide and is essential for normal cell function. This gene encodes an N-terminal acetyltransferase that functions as the catalytic subunit of the major amino-terminal acetyltransferase A complex. Mutations in this gene are the cause of Ogden syndrome. Alternate splicing results in multiple transcript variants. [provided by RefSeq, Jan 2012].