该基因编码一个转录辅激活子，在早期发育和造血过程中起到调节基因表达的重要作用。编码蛋白包含多个保守功能域。其中一个域，即集合域，负责其组蛋白H3赖氨酸4（H3K4）甲基转移酶活性，介导与表观遗传转录激活相关的染色质修饰。这种蛋白由酶Taspase 1加工成两个片段，MLL-C和MLL-N。这些片段重新结合并进一步组装成不同的多蛋白复合物，调节特定靶基因的转录，包括许多HOX基因。涉及该基因的多个染色体易位是导致某些急性淋巴细胞性白血病和急性髓性白血病的原因。交替剪接导致多个转录变体。
This gene encodes a transcriptional coactivator that plays an essential role in regulating gene expression during early development and hematopoiesis. The encoded protein contains multiple conserved functional domains. One of these domains, the SET domain, is responsible for its histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methyltransferase activity which mediates chromatin modifications associated with epigenetic transcriptional activation. This protein is processed by the enzyme Taspase 1 into two fragments, MLL-C and MLL-N. These fragments reassociate and further assemble into different multiprotein complexes that regulate the transcription of specific target genes, including many of the HOX genes. Multiple chromosomal translocations involving this gene are the cause of certain acute lymphoid leukemias and acute myeloid leukemias. Alternate splicing results in multiple transcript variants.