The protein encoded by this gene is a nuclear RING-domain containing E3 ubiquitin ligase. This protein interacts with the transforming growth factor (TGF) -beta/NODAL signaling pathway by promoting the ubiquitination and proteosomal degradation of negative regulators, like SMAD proteins, and thereby enhances TGF-beta target-gene transcription. As a modulator of the nodal signaling cascade, this gene plays a critical role in the induction of mesoderm during embryonic development. Alternative splicing of this gene results in multiple transcript variants encoding distinct isoforms. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2012].