HLA-F belongs to the HLA class I heavy chain paralogues. It is a non-classical heavy chain that forms a heterodimer with a beta-2 microglobulin light chain, with the heavy chain anchored in the membrane. Unlike most other HLA heavy chains, this molecule is localized in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus, with a small amount present at the cell surface in some cell types. It contains a divergent peptide-binding groove, and is thought to bind a restricted subset of peptides for immune presentation.