ATRX associates with the nuclear matrix, pericentromeric heterochromatin, and promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies (PML-NBs) in a speckled nuclear staining pattern.
They are also commonly deficient for expression of ATRX protein, a repressor of ALT activity, and a component of promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies (PML NBs) that are required for intrinsic immunity to various viruses.