NMS is a 153 amino acid secreted protein that belongs to the NmU family. NMS is implicated in the regulation of circadian rhythms through autocrine and/or paracrine actions. The gene that encodes NMS consists of approximately 12,799 bases and maps to human chromosome 2q11.2. Consisting of 237 million bases and encoding over 1,400 genes, chromosome 2 makes up approximately 8% of the human genome. A number of genetic diseases are linked to genes on chromosome 2. Harlequin icthyosis, a rare and morbid skin deformity, is associated with mutations in the ABCA12 gene. The lipid metabolic disorder sitosterolemia is associated with ABCG5 and ABCG8.