Component of the adaptor protein complex 4 (AP-4). Adaptor protein complexes are vesicle coat components involved both in vesicle formation and cargo selection. They control the vesicular transport of proteins in different trafficking pathways (PubMed:10066790, PubMed:10436028). AP-4 forms a non clathrin-associated coat on vesicles departing the trans-Golgi network (TGN) and may be involved in the targeting of proteins from the trans-Golgi network (TGN) to the endosomal-lysosomal system. It is also involved in protein sorting to the basolateral membrane in epithelial cells and the proper asymmetric localization of somatodendritic proteins in neurons. AP-4 is involved in the recognition and binding of tyrosine-based sorting signals found in the cytoplasmic part of cargos, but may also recognize other types of sorting signal (Probable). Adaptor protein complex 4 (AP-4) is a heterotetramer composed of two large adaptins (epsilon-type subunit AP4E1 and beta-type subunit AP4B1), a medium adaptin (mu-type subunit AP4M1) and a small adaptin (sigma-type AP4S1). Widely expressed. The disease is caused by variants affecting the gene represented in this entry. Belongs to the adaptor complexes small subunit family.