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Updated: Jul 10, 2025

Introduction to Solid Supported Membrane Based Electrophysiology
Published on: May 11, 2013
Membrane potential accelerates sugar uptake by stabilizing the outward facing conformation of the Na/glucose
Farha Khan1,2, Matthias Elgeti3,4, Samuel Grandfield1,5
1Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
Abstract:
Sodium-dependent glucose transporters (SGLTs) couple a downhill Na+ ion gradient to actively transport sugars. Here, we investigate the impact of the membrane potential on vSGLT structure and function using sugar uptake assays, double electron-electron resonance (DEER), electrostatic calculations, and kinetic modeling. Negative membrane potentials, as present in all cell types, shift the conformational equilibrium of vSGLT towards an outward-facing conformation, leading to increased sugar transport rates. Electrostatic calculations identify gating charge residues responsible for this conformational shift that when mutated reduce galactose transport and eliminate the response of vSGLT to potential. Based on these findings, we propose a comprehensive framework for sugar transport via vSGLT, where the cellular membrane potential facilitates resetting of the transporter after cargo release. This framework holds significance not only for SGLTs but also for other transporters and channels.
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