Proton-linked monocarboxylate transporter. It catalyzes the transport of pyruvate across the plasma membrane (PubMed:28666119). Probably involved in hepatic lipid metabolism: overexpression results in an increase of triacylglycerol(TAG) levels, small increases in intracellular diacylglycerols and decreases in lysophosphatidylcholine, cholesterol ester and sphingomyelin lipids (PubMed:24390345). H(+)(out) + pyruvate(out) = H(+)(in) + pyruvate(in) Interacts with isoform 2 of BSG. Expressed in liver, salivary gland and thyroid. Disease susceptibility is associated with variants affecting the gene represented in this entry. A risk haplotype spanning SLC16A11 is associated with a 20% increased risk for NIDDM. The haplotype includes 5 SLC16A11 variants in strong linkage disequilibrium: variants Ile-113, Gly-127, Ser-340, Thr-443 and a silent variant. This risk haplotype probably derives from H.sapiens neanderthalensis (Neanderthal) introgression and is present at 50% frequency in Native-American samples, 10% in east Asian, while it is rare in European and African samples populations. The risk haplotype contains a cis-eQTL that is responsible for reduced SLC16A11 expression in liver (PubMed:28666119). Belongs to the major facilitator superfamily. Monocarboxylate porter (TC 2.A.1.13) family. It is uncertain whether Met-1 or Met-25 is the initiator.