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High Affinity Carnitine Transporters from OCTN Family in Neural Cells

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Abstract

Neurons are known to accumulate l-carnitine—a compound necessary for transfer of acyl moieties through biological membranes, apart from very low β-oxidation of fatty acids in adult brain. Present study demonstrates expression of octn2 and octn3 genes coding high affinity carnitine transporters, as well as presence of both proteins in neurons obtained from suckling and adult rats, and also in mouse transformed neural cells. Measurements of carnitine transport show activity of both transporters in neural cells, pointing to their importance in physiological processes other than β-oxidation.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financed by grants 0660/PO1/2006/30 and 0413/B/PO1/36 from the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education and statutory funds of the Nencki Institute.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093, Warsaw, Poland

    Elżbieta Januszewicz, Marek Bekisz & Katarzyna A. Nałęcz

  2. Wrocław Medical University, 3 Chałubińskiego Street, 50-367, Wrocław, Poland

    Jerzy W. Mozrzymas

Authors
  1. Elżbieta Januszewicz
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  2. Marek Bekisz
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  3. Jerzy W. Mozrzymas
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  4. Katarzyna A. Nałęcz
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Correspondence to Katarzyna A. Nałęcz.

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Januszewicz, E., Bekisz, M., Mozrzymas, J.W. et al. High Affinity Carnitine Transporters from OCTN Family in Neural Cells. Neurochem Res 35, 743–748 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-010-0131-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-010-0131-5

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