Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 22, 2026

08:55
Expression, Solubilization, and Purification of Eukaryotic Borate Transporters
Published on: March 7, 2019
[Progress in study on organic anion transporters]
1Dept. of Pharmcology, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
Sheng Li Ke Xue Jin Zhan [Progress in Physiology]
|May 16, 2012
Summary
Organic anion transporters (OATs) are crucial for eliminating drugs from the kidneys. This review covers OATs' roles in drug interactions, tissue expression, and gender-specific functions.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Pharmacology
- Physiology
Context:
- Organic anion transporters (OATs) are vital membrane proteins found in barrier epithelia, including the renal proximal tubule, brain, liver, and placenta.
- They handle endogenous compounds like urate and drug metabolites, as well as numerous pharmaceuticals.
Purpose:
- To review the properties and functions of cloned Organic anion transporter family members.
- To detail tissue-specific expression and physiological roles.
- To explore drug-drug interactions and gender-dependent regulation in OATs.
Summary:
- OATs significantly influence renal drug elimination and pharmacokinetics due to their interaction with diverse drugs and endogenous substances.
- This review synthesizes current understanding of OAT family members, highlighting variations in tissue expression and function.
- Key areas covered include physiological roles, drug interactions, and gender-based regulation in both health and disease.
Impact:
- Provides a comprehensive overview of OATs for researchers and clinicians.
- Enhances understanding of drug disposition and potential drug-drug interactions.
- Informs therapeutic strategies by considering tissue-specific OAT activity and gender differences.
Related Concept Videos
The 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...
ABC 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...
Secondary Active Transport
One example of how cells use the energy contained in electrochemical gradients is demonstrated by glucose transport into cells. The ion vital to this process is sodium (Na+), which is typically present in higher concentrations extracellularly than in the cytosol. Such a concentration difference is due, in part, to the action of an enzyme "pump" embedded in the cellular membrane that actively expels Na+ from a cell. Importantly, as this pump contributes to the high concentration of...
Secondary Active Transport
One example of how cells use the energy contained in electrochemical gradients is demonstrated by glucose transport into cells. The ion vital to this process is sodium (Na+), which is typically present in higher concentrations extracellularly than in the cytosol. Such a concentration difference is due, in part, to the action of an enzyme “pump” embedded in the cellular membrane that actively expels Na+ from a cell. Importantly, as this pump contributes to the high concentration of...
Secondary Active Transport
One example of how cells use the energy contained in electrochemical gradients is demonstrated by glucose transport into cells. The ion vital to this process is sodium (Na+), which is typically present in higher concentrations extracellularly than in the cytosol. Such a concentration difference is due, in part, to the action of an enzyme "pump" embedded in the cellular membrane that actively expels Na+ from a cell. Importantly, as this pump contributes to the high concentration of...
Carrier-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...

