This gene encodes a DnaJ-type co-chaperone and member of the heat shock cognate B (HscB) family of proteins. The encoded protein plays a role in the synthesis of iron-sulfur clusters, protein cofactors that are involved in the redox reactions of mitochondrial electron transport and other processes. Cells in which this gene is knocked down exhibit reduced activity of iron-sulfur cluster-dependent enzymes including succinate dehydrogenase and aconitase. The encoded protein may stimulate the ATPase activity of the mitochondrial stress-70 protein. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants. [provided by RefSeq, Dec 2015].