This gene encodes a transmembrane protein that is located in the endoplasmic reticulum and is involved in GPI-anchor biosynthesis. The glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchor is a glycolipid which contains three mannose molecules in its core backbone. The GPI-anchor is found on many blood cells and serves to anchor proteins to the cell surface. This gene encodes a mannosyltransferase, GPI-MT-I, that transfers the first mannose to GPI on the lumenal side of the endoplasmic reticulum. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]