The protein encoded by this gene has weak homology to several carbohydrate kinases， a class of proteins involved in the phosphorylation of sugars as they enter a cell， inhibiting return across the cell membrane. Sequence variation between this novel gene and known carbohydrate kinases suggests the possibility of a different substrate， cofactor or changes in kinetic properties distinguishing it from other carbohydrate kinases. The gene resides in a region commonly deleted in cystinosis patients， suggesting a role as a modifier for the cystinosis phenotype. The genomic region is also rich in Alu repetitive sequences， frequently involved in chromosomal rearrangements. [provided by RefSeq， Jul 2008]