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Updated: Sep 27, 2026

Extracellular Glucose Depletion as an Indirect Measure of Glucose Uptake in Cells and Tissues Ex Vivo
Published on: April 6, 2022
Glucose Transporters: Structure, Trafficking, Physiology, and Disease Relevance
Cristina Cueto-Ureña1, José Manuel Martínez-Martos1, María Jesús Ramírez-Expósito1
1Experimental and Clinical Physiopathology Research Group CTS-1039, Department of Health Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, E23071 Jaén, Spain.
Abstract:
Glucose transport across biological membranes in mammals depends primarily on two transporter families: the facilitative glucose transporters of the SLC2 family and the sodium-dependent cotransporters of the SLC5 family. Together, these proteins mediate tissue-specific glucose uptake, epithelial absorption and reabsorption, nutrient sensing, and adaptive responses to metabolic stress. This review summarizes current knowledge of transporter classification, structural mechanism, tissue distribution, intracellular trafficking, and disease associations, with emphasis on GLUT1, GLUT2, GLUT3, GLUT4, SGLT1, and SGLT2. It also discusses less well-characterized members of the extended GLUT family, the therapeutic implications of SGLT inhibition, and unresolved questions regarding transporter specificity. Furthermore, the review integrates emerging evidence on CAR-T cell engineering, Alport syndrome, lupus nephritis, erythropoietic responses, and the reduction in dementia risk associated with transporter modulation.
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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:
Membrane Proteins
Secondary Active Transport
Secondary Active Transport
Secondary Active Transport
Glucose Absorption Into the Small Intestine

