DEAD box proteins, characterized by the conserved motif Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp (DEAD), are putative RNA helicases. They are implicated in a number of cellular processes involving alteration of RNA secondary structure such as translation initiation, nuclear and mitochondrial splicing, and ribosome and spliceosome assembly. Based on their distribution patterns, some members of this family are believed to be involved in embryogenesis, spermatogenesis, and cellular growth and division. This gene encodes a DEAD box protein, and it may be involved in ribosome assembly. Fusion of this gene and the nucleoporin gene, NUP98, by inversion 11 (p15q22) chromosome translocation is found in the patients with de novo or therapy-related myeloid malignancies.