This gene encodes a retinoic acid-responsive protein. A homologous protein in mouse has been shown to be involved in the regulation of meiotic initiation in both spermatogenesis and oogenesis, though feature differences between the mouse and human proteins suggest that these homologs are not entirely functionally equivalent. It is thought that this gene may play a role in spermatogenesis in humans. [provided by RefSeq, Nov 2010].