在复制和转录过程中，氧化核苷三磷酸错合成DNA / RNA可引起突变，这可能导致癌变或神经变性。由该基因编码的蛋白质是酶水解氧化嘌呤核苷三磷酸盐，例如8-氧代-DGTP，8-氧代-DATP，2-羟基-DATP，和2-羟基-RATP，对单磷酸，从而防止错误掺入。编码的蛋白质主要定位在细胞质中，有些位于线粒体中，这表明它参与了核基因组和线粒体基因组核苷酸库的净化。一些选择性剪接的转录变体，其中一些编码不同的亚型，已经被鉴定出来。已观察到其他变体，但尚未确定其全长性质。一个罕见的单核苷酸多态性，导致产生一个额外的，更长的亚型（p26）已被描述。[由RefSeq提供，2018年12月]
Misincorporation of oxidized nucleoside triphosphates into DNA/RNA during replication and transcription can cause mutations that may result in carcinogenesis or neurodegeneration. The protein encoded by this gene is an enzyme that hydrolyzes oxidized purine nucleoside triphosphates, such as 8-oxo-dGTP, 8-oxo-dATP, 2-hydroxy-dATP, and 2-hydroxy rATP, to monophosphates, thereby preventing misincorporation. The encoded protein is localized mainly in the cytoplasm, with some in the mitochondria, suggesting that it is involved in the sanitization of nucleotide pools both for nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. Several alternatively spliced transcript variants, some of which encode distinct isoforms, have been identified. Additional variants have been observed, but their full-length natures have not been determined. A rare single-nucleotide polymorphism that results in the production of an additional, longer isoform (p26) has been described. [provided by RefSeq, Dec 2018]