This family of proteins is transcribed anti-sense along the DNA to the Parkin gene product and the two appear to be transcribed under the same promoter. The protein has predicted alpha-helical and beta-sheet domains which suggest its function is in the ubiquitin/proteasome system [1]. Mutations in parkin are the genetic cause of early-onset and autosomal recessive juvenile parkinsonism.

1: Identification of a novel gene linked to parkin via a bi-directional promoter. West AB, Lockhart PJ, O'Farell C, Farrer MJ; J Mol Biol. 2003;326:11-19. PMID:12547187