NIPSNAP is a member of an evolutionarily well conserved gene family and has a strong sequence similarity to the central portion of a protein encoded by C. elegans chromosome III between a 4-nitrophenylphosphatase (NIP) domain and non-neuronal SNAP25-like protein.   Recent studies have indicated that NIPSNAP is involved in the regulation of the Ca2+-selective transient receptor potential vanilloid channel 6 (TRPV6).  NIPSNAP1 associates with TRPV6 at the plasma membrane and inhibits TRPV6 currents.  Other studies show that NIPSNAP’s expression is reduced in the phenylketonuria (PKU) mouse brain, suggesting that NIPSNAP may play a role in memory.