Description
Functions as a transcriptional repressor, inhibiting the signaling of retinoic acid through the retinoic acid receptors RARA, RARB and RARG. Prevents retinoic acid-induced cell proliferation arrest, differentiation and apoptosis. This gene encodes an antigen that is preferentially expressed in human melanomas and that is recognized by cytolytic T lymphocytes. It is not expressed in normal tissues, except testis. The encoded protein acts as a repressor of retinoic acid receptor, and likely confers a growth advantage to cancer cells via this function. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants