This gene encodes a protein that has been directly linked to Bardet-Biedl syndrome. The primary features of this syndrome include retinal dystrophy, obesity, polydactyly, renal abnormalities and learning disabilities. Experimentation in non-human eukaryotes suggests that this gene is expressed in ciliated cells and that it is involved in the formation of cilia. A mutation in this gene has also been implicated in nonsyndromic retinitis pigmentosa. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants.