AKR1C2 is a member of the aldo/keto reductase superfamily, which consists of more than 4 known enzymes and proteins. These enzymes catalyze the conversion of aldehydes and ketones to their corresponding alcohols using NADH and/or NADPH as cofactors. The enzymes display overlapping but distinct substrate specificity. This enzyme binds bile acid with high affinity, and shows minimal 3-alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity. AKR1C2 gene shares high sequence identity with three other gene members and is clustered with those three genes at chromosome 1p15-p14. Three transcript variants encoding two different isoforms have been found for AKR1C2 gene.

Aldo-Keto Reductase Family 1 Member C2 (AKR1C2) plays a role in concert with the 5-α/5-β-Steroid Reductases to convert Steroid hormones into the 3-α/5-α and 3-α/5-β-Tetrahydrosteroids. AKR1C2 catalyzes the inactivation of the most potent androgen 5-α-Dihydrotestosterone (5-α-DHT) to 5-α-Androstane-3-α, 17-β-diol (3-α-diol).