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Mammalian ion-coupled solute transporters
1Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
The Journal of Physiology
|January 1, 1995
Summary
Mammalian cells use ion-coupled transporters to move solutes, linking transport to ion gradients. Expression cloning has identified key transporters like Na+/glucose and H+/oligopeptide transporters, advancing our understanding of their function.
Area of Science:
- Cellular biology
- Biochemistry
- Molecular biology
Background:
- Cellular solute transport relies on specialized transporters.
- Ion-coupled transporters utilize electrochemical ion gradients for energy.
- ATP-dependent transporters are directly powered by ATP hydrolysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the mechanisms and diversity of ion-coupled transporters in mammals.
- To highlight insights gained from expression cloning of transporter cDNAs.
- To classify mammalian ion-coupled organic solute transporters into families.
Main Methods:
- Expression cloning in Xenopus oocytes to identify functional transporters.
- Characterization of cloned transporter cDNAs for transport function.
- Grouping identified transporters into distinct families based on ion coupling.
Main Results:
- Several mammalian ion-coupled transporter cDNAs were cloned and characterized.
- New insights into transporter structure, energy coupling, and physiological roles were revealed.
- Mammalian ion-coupled organic solute transporters were classified into four main families based on ion dependency (Na+, Na+/Cl-, Na+/K+, H+).
Conclusions:
- Expression cloning is a powerful tool for discovering and understanding transporter proteins.
- Mammalian ion-coupled transporters exhibit diverse energy-coupling mechanisms and physiological functions.
- The classification provides a framework for studying transporter families and their roles in solute transport.