Bacterial over-expression of functionally active human CT2 (SLC22A16) carnitine transporter
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 22, 2025

Author Spotlight: Expression and Purification of Human Solute Carrier Transporters Using Codon-Optimized Genes
Published on: September 29, 2023
Michele Galluccio1, Tiziano Mazza1, Mariafrancesca Scalise1
1Department DiBEST Biologia, Ecologia, Scienze Della Terra Unit of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci cubo 4C, 87036, Arcavacata di Rende, Italy.
Background:
Escherichia coli is a widely used tool for the over-expression of human proteins for studying structure and function. The toxicity of human proteins for E. coli often hampers the expression. This study aims to find conditions for the expression of a membrane transporter known as the carnitine transporter CT2. The knowledge on this transporter is scarce, thus obtaining the recombinant protein is very important for further studies.
Methods And Results:
The cDNAs coding for human CT2 (hCT2) was cloned in the pH6EX3 vector and different transformed E. coli strains were cultured in absence or in presence of glucose. hCT2 expression was obtained. The protein was purified and reconstituted into proteoliposomes in a functionally active state.
Conclusions:
Using the appropriate IPTG concentration, together with the addition of glucose, hCT2 has been expressed in E. coli. The protein is active and shows capacity to transport carnitine in proteoliposomes. The results have a great interest in basic biochemistry of membrane transporters and applications to human health since hCT2 is involved in human pathology.
More Related Videos
06:59A Fluorescence-Based Assay of Membrane Potential for High-Throughput Functional Study of Two Endogenous Ion Channels in Two Epithelial Cell Lines
Published on: June 22, 2022
15:12Purification of the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Protein Expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Published on: May 10, 2014
Related Concept Videos
Glucose Transporters
Facilitated diffusion-glucose transporters (GLUTs) are encoded by the solute-linked carrier (SLC) family 2, subfamily A gene family, or SLC2A. The 14 GLUT protein members are distributed into three classes:
ABC Transporters: Exporter
The Significance of Membrane Transport
Transporters facilitate either an active or passive movement of solutes. They can allow a single-molecule transport down its...
Carrier-Mediated Transport
Active transport involves two types of membrane-spanning transporters: uptake and efflux. Uptake transporters are expressed in the small...
ABC Transporters: Importer
In bacteria, based on the number of transmembrane helices and the chemical nature of their substrates, the ABC importers can be divided into three types:
Membrane Transporters
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...