This gene encodes the enzyme responsible for pre-mRNA editing of the glutamate receptor subunit B by site-specific deamination of adenosines.

Studies in rats found that this enzyme acted on its own pre-mRNA molecules to convert an AA dinucleotide to an AI dinucleotide which resulted in a new splice site.

Alternative splicing of this gene results in several transcript variants, some of which have been characterized by the presence or absence of an Alu cassette insert and a short or long C-terminal region.

[7] ADARB1 requires the small molecule inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6) for proper function.

[8] ADARB1 is an A-to-I RNA-editing enzyme that mostly acts on protein-coding substrates.