Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 28, 2026
07:10
High-Throughput Expression and Purification of Human Solute Carriers for Structural and Biochemical Studies
Published on: September 29, 2023
Urate transporters: an evolving field.
1Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine, Shimotsuga, Tochigi, Japan.
Seminars in Nephrology
|October 18, 2011
Summary
Uric acid, a product of purine metabolism, can cause diseases like gout when levels are too high. Understanding how the body handles uric acid is key to managing these conditions.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Human Physiology
- Genetics
Background:
- Uric acid is the end product of purine metabolism in humans.
- Hyperuricemia is linked to gout, kidney disease, hypertension, and cardiovascular issues.
- The kidney is crucial for regulating serum urate levels via excretion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the molecular mechanisms of renal urate handling.
- To explore the roles of urate transporters in various human tissues.
- To provide a comprehensive overview of transmembrane urate transport.
Main Methods:
- Review of scientific literature.
- Analysis of findings from genome-wide association studies (GWAS).
- Discussion of identified urate transport-related genes and proteins.
Main Results:
- URAT1 (SLC22A12) was identified in 2002, advancing understanding of urate transport.
- GWAS have linked serum urate levels to single nucleotide polymorphisms in multiple genetic loci.
- Evidence suggests urate transporters play roles in extrarenal tissues, including the intestine.
Conclusions:
- Despite progress, the complete picture of renal urate handling remains unclear.
- Further research into urate transporters in both renal and extrarenal tissues is warranted.
- Understanding these transport mechanisms is vital for addressing hyperuricemia-related diseases.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:44The Significance of Membrane Transport
The transport of solutes across the cell membrane is essential for metabolic processes, like maintaining cell size and volume, generating the action potential, exchanging nutrients and gases, etc. Membrane transport can be either passive or active. It can be simple diffusion, facilitated, or mediated transport aided by transport proteins such as transporters and channels.
Transporters facilitate either an active or passive movement of solutes. They can allow a single-molecule transport down its...
Transporters facilitate either an active or passive movement of solutes. They can allow a single-molecule transport down its...
01:44The Significance of Membrane Transport
The transport of solutes across the cell membrane is essential for metabolic processes, like maintaining cell size and volume, generating the action potential, exchanging nutrients and gases, etc. Membrane transport can be either passive or active. It can be simple diffusion, facilitated, or mediated transport aided by transport proteins such as transporters and channels.
Transporters facilitate either an active or passive movement of solutes. They can allow a single-molecule transport down its...
Transporters facilitate either an active or passive movement of solutes. They can allow a single-molecule transport down its...
01:31Membrane Transporters
Transporters are essential membrane transport proteins with functions related to cell nutrition, homeostasis, communication, etc. Approximately 7% of all genes in the human genome code for transporters or transporter-related proteins.
Transporters are mainly composed of alpha-helices, built from bundles of ten or more helices traversing the plasma membrane. The solute-binding sites are located midway, where some of the helices are broken or distorted, making space for the binding site through...
Transporters are mainly composed of alpha-helices, built from bundles of ten or more helices traversing the plasma membrane. The solute-binding sites are located midway, where some of the helices are broken or distorted, making space for the binding site through...
01:06Carrier-Mediated Transport
Carrier-mediated transport is a pivotal process in drug absorption, particularly for lipid-insoluble drugs, and encompasses facilitated diffusion and active transport. Facilitated diffusion allows drugs to move along their concentration gradient without energy expenditure, while active transport utilizes ATP to drive drug movement against this gradient.
Active transport involves two types of membrane-spanning transporters: uptake and efflux. Uptake transporters are expressed in the small...
Active transport involves two types of membrane-spanning transporters: uptake and efflux. Uptake transporters are expressed in the small...
01:14Active Transport
Active transport is a critical biological process that allows cells to move solutes against an electrochemical gradient. This process requires direct energy input and is characterized by its selectivity, saturability, and susceptibility to competitive inhibition.
Primary active transporters, like Na+, K+ and -ATPase, directly utilize ATP to move ions across the membrane. These transporters play significant roles in various physiological processes. For instance, Na+, K+ and -ATPase maintain...
Primary active transporters, like Na+, K+ and -ATPase, directly utilize ATP to move ions across the membrane. These transporters play significant roles in various physiological processes. For instance, Na+, K+ and -ATPase maintain...
01:31ABC Transporters: Exporter
ATP-binding cassette or ABC transporter is the largest superfamily of integral membrane proteins. The transporters have transmembrane-binding domains (TMDs) and nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs). The TMDs are specific to their substrates, whereas the NBDs are similar to engines that complete ATP hydrolysis to complete the substrate transport. They can be full transporters consisting of two TMDs and NBDs, half transporters with one TMD and NBD, while some encoded with a single TMD or NBD are...