The protein encoded by this gene is highly similar to the metaxin 2 protein from mouse, which has been shown to interact with the mitochondrial membrane protein metaxin 1. Because of this similarity, it is thought that the encoded protein is peripherally associated with the cytosolic face of the outer mitochondrial membrane, and that it is involved in the import of proteins into the mitochondrion. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants. A related pseudogene has been identified on chromosome 7. [provided by RefSeq, Jun 2009].