This gene encodes a glycoprotein that is the most abundant protein in mammalian urine under physiological conditions. It is synthesized in the kidney as a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol anchored protein and released into urine as a soluble form by proteolytic cleavage. It is thought to regulate water and salt balance in the thick ascending limb of Henle and to protect against urinary tract infection and calcium oxalate crystal formation. In mouse deficiency of this gene is associated with increased susceptibility to bacterial infections and formation of calcium crystals in kidneys. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2013]
