The protein encoded by the gene is a cysteine proteinase and a member of the papain superfamily. This proteolytic enzyme is involved in cellular protein degradation and turnover. The recombinant form of this enzyme was shown to degrade synthetic peptides typically used as substrates for cysteine proteinases and its proteolytic activity was abolished by an inhibitor of cyteine proteinase. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008].