Plays a role in the formation of lipid droplets (LDs) which are storage organelles at the center of lipid and energy homeostasis . Regulates the morphology, size and distribution of LDs (, ). Mediates the formation of endoplasmic reticulum-lipid droplets (ER-LD) contacts by forming a complex with RAB18 and ZW10 . Binds to phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PtdIns3P) through FYVE-type zinc finger (, ).
(Microbial infection) Upon SARS coronavirus-2/SARS-CoV-2 infection, mediates through binding with non-structural protein 6 (nsp6) the replication organelle-lipid droplet association required to sustain viral replication.
Subcellular locations: Golgi apparatus, Golgi stack, Golgi apparatus, Endoplasmic reticulum, Lipid droplet, Preautophagosomal structure, Mitochondrion
Resides predominantly in the cisternal stacks of the Golgi . Colocalizes with TRIM13 on the perinuclear endoplasmic reticulum . During starvation conditions, localizes to omegasomes which are endoplasmic reticulum connected strutures at the origin of preautophagosomal structures (, ). Localizes to lipid droplets in the presence of oleic acid (, ).
Highly expressed in heart. Also detected in the testis.
Expressed in all tissues examined, including, brain, placenta, lung, liver, skeletal muscle, pancreas and kidney. Highly expressed in heart.