The TYRP1 gene encodes Tyrosinase-Related Protein 1, an oxidoreductase enzyme found specifically in melanocyte cells. These cells are responsible for producing melanin, the pigment that gives skin, hair and eyes their color. The TYRP1 protein is involved in the biosynthesis of melanin, known as melanogenesis by playing a role in stabilizing the tyrosinase enzyme and in the organization of melanosomes, the organelles in which melanin is packaged.
Mutations in the gene have been linked to Oculocutaneous Albinism, type III, a brown albinism disorder characterized by hypopigmentation in light-skinned individuals and bright copper-red coloration of the skin and hair in dark-skinned individuals.