NACAD is a 1,562 amino acid protein that prevents non-secretory polypeptides from targeting the endoplasmic reticulum. Localizing to both the cytoplasm and nucleus, NACAD belongs to the NAC-alpha family and contains one NAC-A/B (NAC-alpha/beta) domain. The gene encoding NACAD maps to human chromosome 7, which houses over 1,000 genes and comprises nearly 5 % of the human genome. Chromosome 7 has been linked to Osteogenesis imperfecta, Pendred syndrome, Lissencephaly, Citrullinemia and Shwachman-Diamond syndrome.