The ankyrin repeat and SOCS box containing (ASB) protein family is comprised of members which each contain "SOCS boxes" but differ from other families of protein in the motifs they contain upstream of the SOCS box. SOCS boxes are carboxy terminal regions of homology found in the suppressor of cytokine signaling family of proteins. The box region is thought to be the point of interaction between SOCS proteins and E3 ubiquitin ligases. The SOCS box serves to couple suppressor of cytokine signalling (SOCS) proteins and their binding partners with the elongin B and C complex, possibly targeting them for degradation. The gene is induced by all trans retinoic acid. In myeloid leukemia cells, the expression of this encoded protein has been shown to induce growth inhibition and chromatin condensation. Multiple alternatively spliced transcript variants have been described for this gene but their full length sequences are not known.