Background: UV radiation resistance associated gene (UVRAG) was first identified as a gene that could complement UV sensitivity in xeroderma pigmentosum cells. UVRAG may have tumor suppressor activity as mutations in the UVRAG gene have been associated with various human colon cancer cells and tissues. UVRAG has been shown to interact with Beclin 1 (Bcl-2-interacting protein), a protein that forms a complex with class III PI-3-kinase (PI3KC3) and is involved in autophagy. In this complex, UVRAG is proposed to function as a positive regulator of autophagy and a negative regulator of the growth of tumor cells.