This gene encodes a member of a family of immunoreceptors that are expressed predominantly on monocytes and B cells, and at lower levels on dendritic cells and natural killer cells. The encoded protein is an activating receptor that inhibits dendritic cell differentiation and antigen presentation and suppresses innate immune response. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found. This gene is located in a cluster of related genes on chromosome 19 and there is a pseudogene for this gene on chromosome 3.