背景资料：Syntaxins, a family of proteins involved in the fusion of synaptic vesicles with the plasma membrane, display broad tissue distribution and contain carboxy-terminal hydrophobic domains that direct themselves to their respective intracellular compartments. Syntaxin 18 mainly localizes to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and functions in transport between the ER and Golgi. Syntaxin 18 also plays a role in ER-mediated phagocytosis, possibly by regulating the specific fusion of the ER and plasma or phagosomal membranes.