该基因编码的蛋白是双特异性蛋白磷酸酶亚家族的成员。这些磷酸酶通过磷酸丝氨酸/苏氨酸和磷酸酪氨酸残基的去磷酸化来灭活其靶激酶。负性调节有丝分裂原激活蛋白（MAP）激酶超家族成员（MAPK/ERK，SAPK/JNK，p38），与细胞增殖和分化有关。双特异性磷酸酶家族的不同成员对不同的MAP激酶、不同的组织分布和亚细胞定位，以及不同的细胞外刺激诱导其表达的模式具有不同的底物特异性。这种基因产物使erk2失活，在心脏和胰腺中含量最高的各种组织中表达，不像这个家族的大多数其他成员，它局限于细胞质中。该基因突变与先天性性腺机能减退有关。另外，还发现了该基因的剪接转录变体。
The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the dual specificity protein phosphatase subfamily. These phosphatases inactivate their target kinases by dephosphorylating both the phosphoserine/threonine and phosphotyrosine residues. They negatively regulate members of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase superfamily (MAPK/ERK, SAPK/JNK, p38), which are associated with cellular proliferation and differentiation. Different members of the family of dual specificity phosphatases show distinct substrate specificities for various MAP kinases, different tissue distribution and subcellular localization, and different modes of inducibility of their expression by extracellular stimuli. This gene product inactivates ERK2, is expressed in a variety of tissues with the highest levels in heart and pancreas, and unlike most other members of this family, is localized in the cytoplasm. Mutations in this gene have been associated with congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Alternatively spliced transcript variants have been found for this gene.