Glucose OmniScriptum Glucose Transporter: Membrane protein, Mammal, Metabolism, Glucose, Cell (biology), Chemical polarity, Cell membrane, Transport protein, Kidney Paperback

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Glucose transporters (GLUT or SLC2A family) are a family of membrane proteins found in most mammalian cells. Glucose is an essential substrate for the metabolism of most cells. Because glucose is a polar molecule, transport through biological membranes requires specific transport proteins. Transport of glucose through the apical membrane of intestinal and kidney epithelial cells depends on the presence of secondary active Na+/glucose symporters, SGLT-1 and SGLT-2, which concentrate glucose inside the cells, using the energy provided by cotransport of Na+ ions down their electrochemical gradient. Facilitated diffusion of glucose through the cellular membrane is otherwise catalyzed by glucose carriers (protein symbol GLUT, gene symbol SLC2 for Solute Carrier Family 2) that belong to a superfamily of transport facilitators (major facilitator superfamily) including organic anion and cation transporters, yeast hexose transporter, plant hexose/proton symporters, and bacterial sugar/proton symporters.