Anti-VIMP

This gene encodes a selenoprotein, which contains a selenocysteine (Sec) residue at its active site. The selenocysteine is encoded by the UGA codon that normally signals translation termination. The 3' UTR of selenoprotein genes have a common stem-loop structure, the sec insertion sequence (SECIS), that is necessary for the recognition of UGA as a Sec codon rather than as a stop signal. Studies suggest that this protein may regulate cytokine production, and thus play a key role in the control of the inflammatory response. Two alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding the same protein have been found for this gene. Protein function: Involved in the degradation process of misfolded endoplasmic reticulum (ER) luminal proteins. Participates in the transfer of misfolded proteins from the ER to the cytosol, where they are destroyed by the proteasome in a ubiquitin-dependent manner. Probably acts by serving as a linker between DERL1, which mediates the retrotranslocation of misfolded proteins into the cytosol, and the ATPase complex VCP, which mediates the translocation and ubiquitination. [The UniProt Consortium]