This gene encodes the mouse homolog of human DEAD box polypeptide 17. DEAD box proteins, characterized by the conserved motif Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp (DEAD). RNA helicases of the DEAD-box family are involved in a number of cellular processes involving alteration of RNA secondary structure such as translation initiation, nuclear and mitochondrial splicing, and ribosome and splicesosome assembly. Alternative splicing of this gene results in several transcript variants encoding different isoforms. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]