Background:

This gene encodes a member of the DNAJ/Hsp40 protein family. DNAJ/Hsp40 proteins stimulate the ATPase activity of Hsp70 chaperones and play critical roles in protein folding, degradation, and multimeric complex assembly. The encoded protein is localized to mitochondria and mediates several cellular processes including proliferation, survival and apoptotic signal transduction. The encoded protein also plays a critical role in tumor suppression through interactions with oncogenic proteins including ErbB2 and the p53 tumor suppressor protein. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding multiple isoforms have been observed for this gene.