This gene is a member of the solute carrier family and encodes a cell surface, transmembrane protein. The protein exists as the heavy chain of a heterodimer, covalently bound through di-sulfide bonds to one of several possible light chains. The encoded transporter plays a role in regulation of intracellular calcium levels and transports L-type amino acids. Alternatively spliced transcript variants, encoding different isoforms, have been characterized. [provided by RefSeq, Nov 2010].