Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor protein is a component of an E3 ubiquitin ligase complex that selectively ubiquitinates the alpha subunit of the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) transcription factor for proteasome-mediated degradation. Inactivation of VHL causes VHL disease and sporadic kidney cancer. This gene encodes a VHL homolog that lacks one of two key domains necessary for VHL function. This gene may contribute to the regulation of oxygen homeostasis and neovascularization during placenta development. This gene is intronless, and can also be interpreted as a retrotransposed pseudogene of the VHL locus located on chromosome 3. However, the protein is represented in this RefSeq due to evidence in PMID:14757845 that strongly suggests it is translated. The same publication also indicates that this protein binds HIF alpha but fails to recruit the E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, and it therefore functions as a dominant-negative VHL protein and a protector of HIF alpha.