question: Which are the main functions of the annexin family?
answer: Annexins are required for membrane organization and membrane transport events required for the establishment/maintenance of epithelial polarity. 
  An association of annexins with ion channels, as membrane-guiding auxiliary proteins or modulators of channel activity. 
  Last but not least, some annexins seem to work as extracellular autocrine modulators of receptor function under different physiological conditions.