Enables protein kinase C binding activity and protein kinase C inhibitor activity. Involved in negative regulation of protein kinase activity; positive regulation of cytokine production; and regulation of intracellular signal transduction. Acts upstream of or within negative regulation of apoptotic signaling pathway. Located in Z disc; nucleus; and plasma membrane. Is expressed in several structures, including alimentary system; brain; early conceptus; genitourinary system; and heart. Human ortholog(s) of this gene implicated in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease axonal type 2F; distal hereditary motor neuropathy type 2B; pancreatic cancer; and sarcoma. Orthologous to human HSPB1 (heat shock protein family B (small) member 1). [provided by Alliance of Genome Resources, Apr 2022]