This gene encodes a member of the sodium bicarbonate cotransporter (NBC) family, part of the bicarbonate transporter superfamily. Sodium bicarbonate cotransporters are involved in intracellular pH regulation and electroneural or electrogenic sodium bicarbonate transport. This protein is thought to be an integral membrane protein. Multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene, but the biological validity of some variants has not been determined. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008].