Predicted to enable ATP hydrolysis activity; catalytic activity, acting on DNA; and heterocyclic compound binding activity. Predicted to be involved in double-strand break repair via homologous recombination and mitotic recombination-dependent replication fork processing. Is an ortholog of C. elegans rad-51. In C. elegans, rad-51 is involved in several processes, including intrinsic apoptotic signaling pathway in response to DNA damage by p53 class mediator; meiotic chromosome condensation; and negative regulation of apoptotic process.