This gene encodes a transmembrane protein that localizes to the
endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and recycles between the ER and the
Golgi apparatus via
COPII- and
COPI-coated vesicles. CLN8 protein functions as a cargo receptor for lysosomal soluble proteins in the ER. CLN8 proteins pair with
CLN6 proteins to form the
EGRESS complex (
ER-to-
Golgi
relaying of
enzymes of the ly
sosomal
system), the functional unit responsible for the export of lysosomal enzymes from the
endoplasmic reticulum. ==Clinical==