This gene encodes a member of the ubiquitin-specific peptidase family. The encoded protein acts as a catalytic subunit in a heterodimeric deubiquitinating enzyme complex that deubiquitinates Fanconi anemia, complementation group D2, and plays a role in homologous recombination-mediated DNA repair. Disruption of this gene is associated with a Fanconi anemia-like phenotype and genomic instability. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants. Pseudogenes of this gene have been defined on chromosomes 3, 12, and 15. [provided by RefSeq, Aug 2014]