SPATA18 - Spermatogenesis Associated 18

This gene encodes a p53-inducible protein that is able to induce lysosome-like organelles within mitochondria that eliminate oxidized mitochondrial proteins, thereby contributing to mitochondrial quality control. Dysregulation of mitochondrial quality control is associated with cancer and degenerative diseases. The encoded protein mediates accumulation of the lysosome-like mitochondrial organelles through interaction with B cell lymphoma 2 interacting protein 3 and B cell lymphoma 2 interacting protein 3 like at the outer mitochondrial membrane, which allows translocation of lysosomal proteins to the mitochondrial matrix from the cytosol. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants. [provided by RefSeq, Sep 2016]