該基因編碼一種血管生成因子，可促進體內血管生成并刺激多種內皮細胞的體外生長它具有高度限制性的靶細胞特異性，僅作用于內皮細胞該基因突變與線粒體神經胃腸道腦肌病有關。已經鑒定出多個選擇性剪接的轉錄變體。
This gene encodes an angiogenic factor which promotes angiogenesis in vivo and stimulates the in vitro growth of a variety of endothelial cells. It has a highly restricted target cell specificity acting only on endothelial cells. Mutations in this gene have been associated with mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalomyopathy. Multiple alternatively spliced transcript variants have been identified.