This nuclear gene encodes a protein component of the larger 39S subunit of mitochondrial ribosome. This protein may also aid in the import of nuclear-encoded 5S rRNA into mitochondria. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants, most of which are not predicted to encode a protein. A pseudogene of this gene is found on chromosome 16. MRPL18 (Mitochondrial Ribosomal Protein L18) is a Protein Coding gene. Among its related pathways are Mitochondrial translation and Viral mRNA Translation. GO annotations related to this gene include structural constituent of ribosome and 5S rRNA binding.