Plays an essential role in normal development and survival. Involved in regulation of the expansion or survival of lymphoid cells. Required for de novo or maintenance DNA methylation. May control silencing of the imprinted CDKN1C gene through DNA methylation. May play a role in formation and organization of heterochromatin, implying a functional role in the regulation of transcription and mitosis. Closely associated with pericentric heterochromatin. Highly expressed in thymus, bone marrow, and testis. Not detected in heart, brain, liver, kidney, skeletal muscle, spleen, peripheral blood lymphocytes, small intestine, colon, prostate or ovary. Differentially expressed during embryonic development, with highest expression in developing face, limbs, skeletal muscle, heart, and tail. Highly expressed in fetal thymocytes from day 14 to 16 of gestation, and expressed at much lower levels in adult thymus. By concanavalin or lipopolysaccharide in unactivated splenocytes. Belongs to the SNF2/RAD54 helicase family.