This gene encodes a member of the inorganic phosphate transporter family. The encoded protein is a type 3 sodium-dependent phosphate symporter that plays an important role in phosphate homeostasis by mediating cellular phosphate uptake. The encoded protein also confers susceptibility to viral infection as a gamma-retroviral receptor. Mutations in this gene may play a role in familial idiopathic basal ganglia calcification. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding multiple isoforms have been observed for this gene. [provided by RefSeq, Mar 2012].