FUNCTION: Involved in liver and heart organogenesis during embryo development (PubMed:21471154, PubMed:35039994). Plays a role in the migration of hepatoblasts from the intestinal endoderm during liver organogenesis; possibly by modulating actin polymerization during hepatoblast outgrowth (PubMed:21471154). May be involved in neuron regeneration (By similarity). {ECO:0000250|UniProtKB:Q80TN7, ECO:0000269|PubMed:21471154, ECO:0000269|PubMed:35039994}. SUBUNIT: Interacts with F-actin. {ECO:0000269|PubMed:21471154}. SUBCELLULAR LOCATION: Nucleus outer membrane {ECO:0000250|UniProtKB:Q80TN7}. Golgi apparatus {ECO:0000269|PubMed:21471154}. Cell projection, lamellipodium {ECO:0000269|PubMed:21471154}. Cell projection, filopodium {ECO:0000269|PubMed:21471154}. Note=Localizes to the Golgi apparatus in quiescent cells (PubMed:21471154). Associated with lamellipodia and filipodia in migrating hepatic cells (PubMed:21471154). {ECO:0000269|PubMed:21471154}. DEVELOPMENTAL STAGE: Expressed in brain and somites, and slight expression in cardiac primordium, at 18 hours post-fertilization (hpf) (PubMed:35039994). Expression is initiated at 22 hpf in the gut endoderm in an area known to be the origin of hepatic precursor cells and at 40 hpf, expands to the newly formed liver bud (PubMed:21471154). Expression is reduced after termination of primary liver formation (PubMed:21471154). Expressed in the brain, heart, and somites at 24 hpf (PubMed:35039994). Expression in somites becomes weaker, and is rarely detected from 48 hpf onwards (PubMed:35039994). Expressed in the cardiac region from 24 to 48 hpf (PubMed:35039994). At 48 hpf, expression is regionalized to the brain and heart (PubMed:21471154). At 96 hpf, almost no expression in heart, and expression is found to be accumulated in other tissues, such as the gill arch, swim bladder, and intestine (PubMed:35039994). {ECO:0000269|PubMed:21471154, ECO:0000269|PubMed:35039994}. DISRUPTION PHENOTYPE: Severe deficiency in cardiac morphology and structure and 70% enbryonic lethality within 24 hpf (PubMed:35039994). Morpholino-mediated knockdown impairs the migration of hepatoblasts out from the gut endoderm, blocks liver bud formation, and results in a reduced liver size (PubMed:21471154). Also impairs development of pancreas and swim bladder (PubMed:21471154). {ECO:0000269|PubMed:21471154, ECO:0000269|PubMed:35039994}. SIMILARITY: Belongs to the Nav/unc-53 family. {ECO:0000305}. |