BCAM encodes Lutheran blood group glycoprotein, a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily and a receptor for the extracellular matrix protein, laminin. Basal cell adhesion molecule contains five extracellular immunoglobulin domains, a single transmembrane domain, and a short C-terminal cytoplasmic tail. This protein may play a role in epithelial cell cancer and in vaso-occlusion of red blood cells in sickle cell disease. Polymorphisms in this gene define some of the antigens in the Lutheran system and also the Auberger system. Inactivating variants of this gene result in the recessive Lutheran null phenotype, Lu(a-b-), of the Lutheran blood group. Two transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene.