This gene encodes a member of the disulfide isomerase (PDI) family of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proteins that catalyze protein folding and thiol-disulfide interchange reactions. The encoded protein has an N-terminal endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-signal sequence, three catalytically active thioredoxin domains and a C-terminal ER-retention sequence. Its expression is induced by hypoxia and its role may be to protect hypoxic cells from apoptosis. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants. Read-through transcription also exists between this gene and the neighboring upstream BLOC1S5 gene. [provided by RefSeq, Dec 2016] see less This gene encodes a member of the disulfide isomerase (PDI) family of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proteins that catalyze protein folding and thiol-disulfide interchange reactions. The encoded protein has an N-terminal endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-signal sequence, three catalytically active thioredoxin domains and a C-terminal ER-retention sequence. Its expression is induced by hypoxia and its role... see more