This gene encodes a member of the p47 immunity-related GTPase family. The encoded protein may play a role in the innate immune response by regulating autophagy formation in response to intracellular pathogens. Polymorphisms that affect the normal expression of this gene are associated with a susceptibility to Crohn's disease and tuberculosis. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms. [provided by RefSeq, Oct 2016].