This gene encodes a ubiquitin specific processing protease that was first identified as a substrate of the VHL (von Hippel-Lindau disease) protein E3 ubiquitin ligase complex. In addition to being ubiquitinated by the VHL-E3 ligase complex, this enzyme deubiquitinates hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 alpha and thereby causes increased expression of HIF-1alpha targeted genes which play a role in angiogenesis, glucose metabolism, cell proliferation and metastasis. The enzyme encoded by this gene also regulates G-protein coupled receptor signaling by mediating the deubiquitination of beta-2 adrenergic receptor (ADRB2). This enzyme is a ubiquitously expressed thiolester hydrolase. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants encoding the same protein. [provided by RefSeq, Jan 2013],