May play a role in the formation and maintenance of various skin appendages, specifically in determining shape and orientation of hair. May be a marker of basal cell differentiation in complex epithelia and therefore indicative of a certain type of epithelial "stem cells". May act as an autoantigen in the immunopathogenesis of psoriasis, with certain peptide regions being a major target for autoreactive T-cells and hence causing their proliferation. Required for the correct growth of hair follicles, in particular for the persistence of the anagen (growth) state. Modulates the function of TNF-alpha in the specific context of hair cycling. Regulates protein synthesis and epithelial cell growth through binding to the adapter protein SFN and by stimulating Akt/mTOR pathway. Involved in tissue repair (By similarity).

2-8°C (short-term); -20°C (long-term)