这个基因编码一个补丁基因家族的成员。编码蛋白是声波刺猬（一种与胚胎结构形成和肿瘤发生有关的分泌分子）以及沙漠刺猬和印度刺猬蛋白的受体。这个基因作为肿瘤抑制因子发挥作用。这种基因的突变与基底细胞痣综合征、食管鳞状细胞癌、毛细胞瘤、膀胱移行细胞癌以及无脑畸形有关。选择性剪接导致编码不同亚型的多个转录变体。已经描述了其他剪接变异体，但目前还不能确定它们的全长序列和生物学效度。
This gene encodes a member of the patched gene family. The encoded protein is the receptor for sonic hedgehog, a secreted molecule implicated in the formation of embryonic structures and in tumorigenesis, as well as the desert hedgehog and indian hedgehog proteins. This gene functions as a tumor suppressor. Mutations of this gene have been associated with basal cell nevus syndrome, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, trichoepitheliomas, transitional cell carcinomas of the bladder, as well as holoprosencephaly. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms. Additional splice variants have been described, but their full length sequences and biological validity cannot be determined currently.