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.

Actin, gamma 1, encoded by this gene, is a cytoplasmic actin found in nonmuscle cells.Defects in ACTG1 are the cause of non-syndromic sensorineural deafness autosomal dominant type 20 (DFNA20); also called autosomal dominant deafness type 26 (DFNA26).

DFNA20 is a form of sensorineural hearing loss. Sensorineural deafness results from damage to the neural receptors of the inner ear, the nerve pathways to the brain, or the area of the brain that receives sound information.