Osteopetrosis is a genetic bone disease characterized by increased bone density and fragility. The R444L missense mutation in the human V-ATPase a3 subunit (TCIRG1) is one of several known mutations in a3 and other proteins that can cause this disease. The autosomal recessive R444L mutation results in a particularly malignant form of infantile osteopetrosis that is lethal in infancy, or early childhood. We have studied this mutation using the pMSCV retroviral vector system to integrate the cDNA construct for green fluorescent protein (GFP)-fused a3(R445L) mutant protein into the RAW 264.7 mouse osteoclast differentiation model. In comparison with wild-type a3, the mutant glycoprotein localized to the ER instead of lysosomes and its oligosaccharide moiety was misprocessed, suggesting inability of the core-glycosylated glycoprotein to traffic to the Golgi. Reduced steady-state expression of the mutant protein, in comparison with wild type, suggested that the former was being degraded, likely through the endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation pathway. In differentiated osteoclasts, a3(R445L) was found to degrade at an increased rate over the course of osteoclastogenesis. Limited proteolysis studies suggested that the R445L mutation alters mouse a3 protein conformation. Together, these data suggest that Arg-445 plays a role in protein folding, or stability, and that infantile malignant osteopetrosis caused by the R444L mutation in the human V-ATPase a3 subunit is another member of the growing class of protein folding diseases. This may have implications for early-intervention treatment, using protein rescue strategies.