APOBEC3B is a member of the cytidine deaminase gene family. It is one of seven related genes or pseudogenes found in a cluster, thought to result from gene duplication, on chromosome 22. Members of the cluster encode proteins that are structurally and functionally related to the C to U RNA-editing cytidine deaminase APOBEC1. It is thought that the proteins may be RNA editing enzymes and have roles in growth or cell cycle control. A hybrid gene results from the deletion of approximately 29.5 kb of sequence between this gene, APOBEC3B, and the adjacent gene APOBEC3A. The breakpoints of the deletion are within the two genes, so the deletion allele is predicted to have the promoter and coding region of APOBEC3A, but the 3' UTR of APOBEC3B.