[5][6][7][8] Palladin is a component of actin-containing microfilaments that control cell shape, adhesion, and contraction.

[9] It is a part of the myotilin-myopalladin-palladin family and may play an important role in modulating the actin cytoskeleton.

Palladin was named after the Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, reflecting its localization to architectural elements of the cell.

[6] Palladin's precise biological role is poorly understood, but it has been shown to play a role in cytoskeletal organization, embryonic development, cell motility, scar formation in the skin, and nerve cell development.

[12] The palladin mutation identified in familial pancreatic cancer may be unique to a single North American family, as this same mutation has not been found in any other European or North American populations, respectively, in two other genetic studies.