The protein encoded by this gene is a large (700 kDa) structural scaffold protein consisting of a central domain with 128 aa repeats. The encoded protein may play a role in such diverse processes as blood-brain barrier formation, cell structure and migration, cardiac calcium channel regulation, and tumor metastasis. A much shorter variant encoding a 17 kDa isoform exists for this gene, and the shorter isoform initiates a feedback loop that regulates alternative splicing of this gene.