GLUT2
| solute carrier family 2 (facilitated glucose transporter), member 2 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identifiers | |||||||
| Symbol | SLC2A2 | ||||||
| Alt. symbols | GLUT2 | ||||||
| NCBI gene | 6514 | ||||||
| HGNC | 11006 | ||||||
| OMIM | 138160 | ||||||
| RefSeq | NM_000340 | ||||||
| UniProt | P11168 | ||||||
| Other data | |||||||
| Locus | Chr. 3 q26.2-q27 | ||||||
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GLUT 2 is a transmembrane carrier protein that enables passive glucose movement across cell membranes. It is the principal transporter for transfer of glucose between liver and blood, and for renal glucose reabsorption. GLUT2 is the gene for the protein.
Locations
It is found in cellular membranes of:
- liver
- pancreatic beta cells
- hypothalamus
- basolateral membrane of small intestine
- basolateral membrane of renal tubular cells
Function
It has high capacity but low affinity (high Km, ca. 5 mM) part of "the glucose sensor" in pancreatic β-cells. It is a very efficient carrier for glucose.
It may also carry glucosamine, suspected because mouse embryos lacking this glucose carrier protein/gene- and its suspected capacity to transport glucosamine- soon die.
It has been alleged, without providing any reference whatsoever, by genetics researchers in neonatal and maternal-fetal medicine at Harvard University Medical School and Beth-Israel Deaconess Hospital Medical Center, that this creates a problem for drug treated diabetic pregnancies in which glucose levels in the woman are uncontrolled, exposing her fetus to the possibility of neural tube and cardiac defects in the early-developing brain, spine, and heart.
However, whilst a lack of GLUT2 is negative, it is important to remember the fact that the main result of undrugtreated gestational diabetes [1] appears to be babies of above average size and that may well be an advantage that is managed very well with a healthy GLUT2 status.
GLUT2 appears to be particularly important when blood glucose concentration is above average. GLUT2 could reasonably referred to as the 'diabetic[1] GLUcose Transporter' or a 'stress[2] hyperglycemia [2] glucose transporter'
See also
External links
- MeSH entry: Glucose Transporter Type 2
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