Involved in epithelial cell protection, adhesion modulation, and signaling. May be involved in epithelial cell growth regulation. Stimulated by both cytokine TNF-alpha and TGF-beta in intestinal epithelium.
Subcellular locations: Membrane
Ubiquitous, with higher expression in colon. Down-regulated in colorectal cancer as well as in the colon of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD).