這個基因編碼的蛋白質是腫瘤壞死因子受體超家族的一員。這個受體包含一個死亡結構域。它在細胞程序性死亡的生理調節中起著重要作用，并與多種惡性腫瘤和免疫系統疾病的發病機制有關。這種受體與其配體的相互作用允許形成一種死亡誘導信號復合物，包括fas相關死亡結構域蛋白（fadd）、caspase 8和caspase 10。復合物中半胱氨酸天冬氨酸蛋白酶的自蛋白溶解過程觸發下游半胱氨酸天冬氨酸天冬氨酸天冬氨酸酶級聯反應，導致細胞凋亡。該受體也被證實激活了nf-kappab、mapk3/erk1和mapk8/jnk，并被發現參與了正常二倍體成纖維細胞和t細胞增殖信號的轉導。已經描述了幾種選擇性剪接的轉錄變體，其中一些是無義介導的mrna衰變（nmd）的候選者。缺乏跨膜結構域的亞型可能對全長亞型介導的細胞凋亡產生負調控作用。[由RefSeq提供，2011年3月]
The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the TNF-receptor superfamily. This receptor contains a death domain. It has been shown to play a central role in the physiological regulation of programmed cell death, and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various malignancies and diseases of the immune system. The interaction of this receptor with its ligand allows the formation of a death-inducing signaling complex that includes Fas-associated death domain protein (FADD), caspase 8, and caspase 10. The autoproteolytic processing of the caspases in the complex triggers a downstream caspase cascade, and leads to apoptosis. This receptor has been also shown to activate NF-kappaB, MAPK3/ERK1, and MAPK8/JNK, and is found to be involved in transducing the proliferating signals in normal diploid fibroblast and T cells. Several alternatively spliced transcript variants have been described, some of which are candidates for nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD). The isoforms lacking the transmembrane domain may negatively regulate the apoptosis mediated by the full length isoform. [provided by RefSeq, Mar 2011]