This gene encodes a member of an evolutionarily conserved protein family implicated in RNA metabolism and translation. Members of this family are characterized by the presence of an La motif, which is often located adjacent to one or more RNA recognition motifs (RRM). Together, the two motifs constitute the functional region of the protein and enable its interaction with the RNA substrate. This protein family is divided into five sub-families: the genuine La proteins and four La-related protein (LARP) sub-families. The protein encoded by this gene belongs to LARP sub-family 4. It is a cytoplasmic protein that may play a stimulatory role in translation. [provided by RefSeq, Oct 2012]