This gene is a member of the muscleblind protein family which was initially described in Drosophila melanogaster. This gene encodes a C3H-type zinc finger protein that modulates alternative splicing of pre-mRNAs. Muscleblind proteins bind specifically to expanded dsCUG RNA but not to normal size CUG repeats and may thereby play a role in the pathophysiology of myotonic dystrophy. Several alternatively spliced transcript variants have been described but the full-length natures of only some have been determined. [provided by RefSeq, Mar 2012].