In Homo sapiens, the NPRL3 gene is located at C16orf35. The gene is composed of 14 exons at 53 kbp in length. This gene is highly conserved in vertebrates which is upstream from the alpha globin gene cluster. Within the fifth intron of the gene there is a regulatory section of DNA HS-40 which regulates the expression of the alpha globin. This means that the gene C16orf35 is expressed in early erythrocytes accompanying hemoglobin production.
