The TECRL gene encodes an integral membrane protein with oxidoreductase activity. The protein consists of a ubiquitin-like domain at the N-terminal, a 3-oxo-5-alpha steroid 4-dehydrogenase domain at the C-terminal and 3 transmembrane regions. While the specific function of TECRL is yet to be elucidated, it is believed to play a role in the biosynthesis of very long chain fatty acids.
Recent knockdown studies using sh-RNA have further illuminated the physiological role of TECRL. It was found that knockdown of TECRL in human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes resulted in significantly prolonged action potentials. It also reduced cell content of the canonical calcium-handling proteins RYR2 and CASQ2. The gene has been implicated in Ventricular Tachycardia, Catecholaminergic Polymorphic, 3 (CPVT3), an arrhythmia characterized by the overlapping features of CPVT and Long QT Syndrome.