Methylates the 2'-O-ribose of nucleotides at positions 32 and 34 of the tRNA anticodon loop of substrate tRNAs (  , ). Requisite for faithful cytoplasmic translation . Requires THADA for methylation of the nucleotide at position 32 of the anticodon loop of substrate tRNAs (, ). Requires WDR6 for methylation of the nucleotide at position 34 of the anticodon loop of substrate tRNAs (, ). Promotes translation efficiency of the UUU codon . Plays a role in neurogenesis . Required for expression of genes involved in neurogenesis, mitochondrial translation and energy generation, and lipid biosynthesis (, ). Requisite for RNA-mediated gene silencing . May modify position 32 in tRNA(Arg(ACG)), tRNA(Arg(CCG)), tRNA(Arg(UCG)), tRNA(Cys(GCA)), tRNA(Cys(ACA)), tRNA(Gln(CUG)), tRNA(Gln(UUG)), tRNA(Gly(CCC)), tRNA(Leu(CAG))/tRNA(Leu(CAA)), tRNA(Leu(A/IAG)), tRNA(Leu(UAG)), tRNA(Phe(GAA)), tRNA(Pro(AGG))/tRNA(Pro(CGG))/tRNA(Pro(UGG)) and tRNA(Trp(CCA)), and position 34 in tRNA(Phe(GAA)), tRNA(Leu(CAA)), tRNA(Sec(UCA)), and tRNA(Trp(CCA)) (  ).
Subcellular locations: Cytoplasm, Nucleus
Predominantly cytoplasmic.
Found in fetal brain, lung, liver and kidney . Widely expressed in adult tissue; with high expression in heart and liver, lower expression in skeletal muscle, kidney, and pancreas and also lowly expressed in brain and lung . In the adult brain, expressed in amygdala, caudate nucleus, corpus callosum, hippocampus and thalamus .