This gene encodes a member of the UDP-N-acetyl-alpha-D-galactosamine:polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase (GalNAc-T) family of enzymes. GalNAc-Ts initiate mucin-type O-linked glycosylation in the Golgi apparatus by catalyzing the transfer of GalNAc to serine and threonine residues on target proteins. They are characterized by an N-terminal transmembrane domain, a stem region, a lumenal catalytic domain containing a GT1 motif and Gal/GalNAc transferase motif, and a C-terminal ricin/lectin-like domain. GalNAc-Ts have different, but overlapping, substrate specificities and patterns of expression. In vitro, the encoded protein can complement other GalNAc-Ts in the complete O-glycosylation of the mucin-1 tandem repeat and can O-glycosylate the P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 molecule. The coding region of this gene is contained within a single exon. Fusion transcripts, which combine part of this gene with the 5′ exons of the neighboring POC1B (POC1 centriolar protein homolog B) gene, also exist. [provided by RefSeq, Dec 2010]