The protein encoded by this gene belongs to the NALP protein family. Members of the NALP protein family typically contain a NACHT domain, a NACHT-associated domain (NAD), a C-terminal leucine-rich repeat (LRR) region, and an N-terminal pyrin domain (PYD). This protein may play a regulatory role in the innate immune system as similar family members belong to the signal-induced multiprotein complex, the inflammasome, that activates the pro-inflammatory caspases, caspase-1 and caspase-5. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008].