The GIT1 gene encodes an enzyme that functions as a GTPase activating protein for the ADP ribosylation factor (Arf) family. By carrying out its function, it is responsible for the increased phosphorylation and reduced signaling of the beta-2-adrenergic receptor (ADBR2). The protein has also been speculated to play a role in the increased speed of cell migration, the size and frequency of membrane protrusions and in the regulation of cytokinesis.
Animal studies have helped further elucidate the role of this protein. Git1 knockout mice have been shown to exhibit ADHD-like behavior, such as hyperactivity, impairment of memory and learning ability and enhanced theta rhythms. Recent studies have also identified GIT1 as an enhancer of huntingtin aggregation, thus potentially implicating it in Huntington disease.