Synonyms
(GLUT1–14; gene symbols: SLC2A1–14, solute carrier family 2A1–14); (sodium–glucose symporters (SGLT1–6); gene symbols: SLC5A1–6, solute carrier family 5A1–6)
Definition
Glucose transporters are integral membrane proteins that catalyze the permeation of sugars into cells, along or against a concentration gradient.
Basic Characteristics
The Family of Glucose Transport Facilitators
Glucose transport facilitators (GLUT proteins) are uniporters which catalyze the diffusion of glucose into (or out of) cells along the concentration gradient [1, 2]. During this process, the proteins are believed to undergo specific conformational changes: Binding of glucose to the outward-facing binding site induces a conformational alteration that moves the substrate through the pore of the GLUT protein. Thereafter, glucose is released from the inward-facing binding site to the cytoplasm, and the transporter undergoes the reverse conformational change (Fig. 1a). Within most cells, glucose is rapidly...
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Joost H-G, Thorens B (2001) The extended GLUT-family of sugar/polyol transport facilitators – nomenclature, sequence characteristics, and potential function of its novel members. Mol Membr Biol 18:247–256
Scheepers A, Joost HG, Schürmann A (2004) The glucose transporter families SGLT and GLUT: molecular basis of normal and aberrant function. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 28:364–371
Koumanov F, Jin B, Yang J et al (2005) Insulin signaling meets vesicle traffic of GLUT4 at a plasma-membrane-activated fusion step. Cell Metab 2:179–189
Membrez M, Hummler E, Beermann F et al (2006) GLUT8 is dispensable for embryonic development but influences hippocampal neurogenesis and heart function. Mol Cell Biol 26:4268–4876
Wood IS, Trayhurn P (2003) Glucose transporters (GLUT and SGLT): expanded families of sugar transport proteins. Br J Nutr 89:3–9
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© 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York
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Schürmann, A., Joost, HG. (2008). Glucose Transporters. In: Offermanns, S., Rosenthal, W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Molecular Pharmacology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-38918-7_68
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-38918-7_68
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-38916-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-38918-7
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