Asialoglycoprotein receptor 1 (ASGR1) is a type-II transmembrane protein that plays a critical role in serum glycoprotein homeostasis by mediating the endocytosis and lysosomal degradation of asialoglycoproteins (desialylated glycoproteins; glycoproteins from which a sialic acid has been removed to expose galactose or N-acetylgalactosamine residues). The asialoglycoprotein receptor may facilitate hepatic infection by multiple viruses including hepatitis B, and is also a target for liver-specific drug delivery. The asialoglycoprotein receptor is a hetero-oligomeric protein composed of major and minor subunits, which are encoded by different genes. The protein encoded by this gene is the more abundant major subunit. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding multiple isoforms have been observed for this gene. Human genetic studies have identified that the loss-of-function ASGR1 variants associate with low cholesterol and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.