Enables caspase binding activity; protein-macromolecule adaptor activity; and ubiquitin protein ligase activity. Involved in negative regulation of IRE1-mediated unfolded protein response; proteasome-mediated ubiquitin-dependent protein catabolic process; and protein ubiquitination. Acts upstream of or within negative regulation of apoptotic process. Located in endoplasmic reticulum and membrane. [provided by Alliance of Genome Resources, Jul 2025]
Forensic Context
A study in human prostate tissues demonstrated that the BFAR gene, an anti-apoptotic factor, was significantly upregulated in a time-dependent manner during the postmortem interval, showing up-regulation in all sample groups compared to a 24-hour control [Tolbert et al. DOI:10.1016/j.gene.2018.06.090]. This research, utilizing PCR array analysis on cadaveric samples, validated that mRNA transcripts, including the BFAR, remain detectable and show measurable expression changes up to 120 hours after death, providing gene expression profiles relevant for time of death estimation.