This gene encodes a member of the membrane fatty acid desaturase family which is responsible for inserting double bonds into specific positions in fatty acids. This protein contains three His-containing consensus motifs that are characteristic of a group of membrane fatty acid desaturases. It is predicted to be a multiple membrane-spanning protein localized to the endoplasmic reticulum. Overexpression of this gene inhibited biosynthesis of the EGF receptor, suggesting a possible role of a fatty acid desaturase in regulating biosynthetic processing of the EGF receptor. [provided by RefSeq, Mar 2010].
Ternes, Franke, Zähringer, Sperling, Heinz: "Identification and characterization of a sphingolipid delta 4-desaturase family." in: The Journal of biological chemistry, Vol. 277, Issue 28, pp. 25512-8, (2002) (PubMed).