The function of CALCOCO2 (calcium binding and coiled-coil domain 2, Ensembl gene identifier ENSG00000136436) is as follows. Xenophagy-specific receptor required for autophagy-mediated intracellular bacteria degradation. Acts as an effector protein of galectin-sensed membrane damage that restricts the proliferation of infecting pathogens such as Salmonella typhimurium upon entry into the cytosol by targeting LGALS8-associated bacteria for autophagy (PubMed:22246324). Initially orchestrates bacteria targeting to autophagosomes and subsequently ensures pathogen degradation by regulating pathogen-containing autophagosome maturation (PubMed:23022382, PubMed:25771791). Bacteria targeting to autophagosomes relies on its interaction with MAP1LC3A, MAP1LC3B and/or GABARAPL2, whereas regulation of pathogen-containing autophagosome maturation requires the interaction with MAP3LC3C (PubMed:23022382, PubMed:25771791). May play a role in ruffle formation and actin cytoskeleton organization and seems to negatively regulate constitutive secretion (PubMed:17635994). {ECO:0000269|PubMed:17635994, ECO:0000269|PubMed:22246324, ECO:0000269|PubMed:23022382, ECO:0000269|PubMed:23386746, ECO:0000269|PubMed:25771791}.