VAPA is a type IV membrane protein. It is present in the plasma membrane and intracellular vesicles. VAPA is a SNARE regulator with high levels of expression in the intestine during late embryogenesis and early neonatal development. It is also a syntaxin-like protein implicated in endoplasmic reticulum (ER)/Golgi vesicle transport, and phospholipid regulation in mammalian cells and yeast, respectively. This protein may function in vesicle trafficking, membrane fusion, protein complex assembly and cell motility. Alternative splicing occurs at this locus and two transcript variants encoding distinct isoforms have been identified. VAPA and p48 interact to form a stable complex in mammalian cells.
