This gene encodes a protein that may be involved in the presentation of the laminin-binding O-linked carbohydrate chain of alpha-dystroglycan (a-DG), which forms transmembrane linkages between the extracellular matrix and the exoskeleton. Some pathogens use this O-linked carbohydrate unit for host entry. Loss of function compound heterozygous mutations in this gene were found in a human patient affected by the Walker-Warburg syndrome (WWS) phenotype.