該基因編碼的蛋白是腫瘤壞死因子受體相關因子（traf）蛋白家族的一員。traf蛋白與腫瘤壞死因子受體超家族成員相關并介導其信號轉導。這種蛋白質直接與TNF受體相互作用，并與TRAF1形成異二聚體復合物。這種蛋白是腫瘤壞死因子α介導的mapk8/jnk和nf-kappab活化所必需的。由該蛋白和traf1形成的蛋白復合物與凋亡抑制蛋白（iaps）相互作用，并充當來自腫瘤壞死因子受體的抗凋亡信號的介質。該蛋白與腫瘤壞死因子受體相關的凋亡信號轉導子tradd的相互作用確保了iaps的募集，從而直接抑制caspase的激活。birc2/c-iap1是一種具有泛素連接酶活性的細胞凋亡抑制劑，能使該蛋白脫水解酶并誘導其降解，從而增強腫瘤壞死因子誘導的細胞凋亡。已發現該基因的多個選擇性剪接轉錄變體，但僅確定了一個轉錄的生物學有效性。
The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the TNF receptor associated factor (TRAF) protein family. TRAF proteins associate with, and mediate the signal transduction from members of the TNF receptor superfamily. This protein directly interacts with TNF receptors, and forms a heterodimeric complex with TRAF1. This protein is required for TNF-alpha-mediated activation of MAPK8/JNK and NF-kappaB. The protein complex formed by this protein and TRAF1 interacts with the inhibitor-of-apoptosis proteins (IAPs), and functions as a mediator of the anti-apoptotic signals from TNF receptors. The interaction of this protein with TRADD, a TNF receptor associated apoptotic signal transducer, ensures the recruitment of IAPs for the direct inhibition of caspase activation. BIRC2/c-IAP1, an apoptosis inhibitor possessing ubiquitin ligase activity, can unbiquitinate and induce the degradation of this protein, and thus potentiate TNF-induced apoptosis. Multiple alternatively spliced transcript variants have been found for this gene, but the biological validity of only one transcript has been determined.