Human stomatin (band 7.2b) is a 31-kDa erythrocyte membrane protein of unknown function but implicated in the control of ion channel permeability,mechanoreception,and lipid domain organization. Stomatin (EPB72)-like 2 (STOML2,synonyms: SLP-2,HSPC108) is a 38.5-kDa protein that is overall approximately 20% similar to human stomatin. STOML2 is also present in mature human erythrocytes ,but lacks a characteristic NH(2)-terminal hydrophobic domain found in other stomatin homologues. STOML2 may link stomatin or other integral membrane proteins to the peripheral cytoskeleton and thereby play a role in regulating ion channel conductances or the organization of sphingolipid and cholesterol-rich lipid rafts.