Required to prevent the misactivation of serine (Ser) with tRNA(Ala) by promoting the hydrolysis of Ser-mischarged tRNA(Ala), thereby playing a role in translational fidelity (PubMed:29769718). Binds directly to the catalytic domain of AARS/AlaRS and captures Ser that is misactivated by AARS/AlaRS, preventing the charging of Ser adenylates to tRNA(Ala) and precluding Ser misincorporation in nascent peptides (PubMed:29769718). Interacts with AARS; the interaction is direct. Widely expressed in brain (at protein level). Side chains of Lys-102, Lys-135 and Lys-165 capture Ser that is misactivated by AARS/AlaRS. No visible phenotype (PubMed:29769718). Loss of Ankrd16 in mice with a 'sticky' phenotype (mice homozygous for the variant 'Glu-734' in Aars/AlaRS) results in early embryonic lethality (PubMed:29769718). Conditional deletion in postnatal Purkinje cells in mice with a 'sticky' phenotype exacerbates the 'sticky' phenotype and causes widespread protein aggregation and neuron loss (PubMed:29769718).