Rabbit Anti-Human SC5A7 (a.a. 149-199) Polyclonal antibody

There are three families of glucose transporters in the human genome, SLC2, SLC5 and SLC50. Here I review the structure and function of the SLC5 and SLC50 genes. The human sodium glucose cotransporter family (SLC5) has 12 human genes expressed in tissues ranging from epithelia to the central nervous system. The functions of all are known based on studies using heterologous expression systems: 10 are tightly coupled plasma membrane Na+/substrate cotransporters for solutes such as glucose, myoinositol, and anions; 1 is a Na+/Cl-/Choline cotransporter; and another is a glucose activated ion channel. The exon organization of most of the genes is similar in that they contain 14-15 exons. However, the choline transporter CHT is encoded in by the 8 exon SLC5A7 gene and the myoinositol SMIT transporter by the 1 exon SLC5A3 gene. Mutations in 3 SLC5 genes produce genetic phenotypes (glucose-galactose-malabsorption, renal glucosuria and hypothyroidism). Members of the SLC5 family are multifunctional membrane proteins in that they also behave as uniporters, urea and water channels, and urea and water cotransporters. The atomic structure of a closely related bacterial homolog has been solved and the structural core is common to six unrelated transporters, e.g. members of the SLC6 family of neurotransporters, and this leads to the conclusion that these work by a similar mechanism. The new SWEET class of glucose uniporters, SLC50, only has only one member in the human genome, SLC50A1. The SWEETs are found mostly in plants where they appear to be responsible for sugar efflux and are targeted by pathogens and symbionts for nutrition. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The cholinergic system consists of acetylcholine (ACh), its synthesising enzyme, choline acetyltransferase (CHAT), transporters such as the high-affinity choline transporter (SLC5A7; also known as ChT1), vesicular ACh transporter (SLC18A3; also known as VAChT), organic cation transporters (SLC22s; also known as OCTs), the nicotinic ACh receptors (CHRN; also known as nAChR) and muscarinic ACh receptors. The cholinergic system is not restricted to neurons but plays an important role in the structure and function of non-neuronal tissues such as epithelia and the immune system. Using molecular and immunohistochemical techniques, we show in this study that non-neuronal cells in the parenchyma of rat testis express mRNAs for Chat, Slc18a3, Slc5a7 and Slc22a2 as well as for the CHRN subunits in locations completely lacking any form of innervation, as demonstrated by the absence of protein gene product 9.5 labelling. We found differentially expressed mRNAs for eight alpha and three beta subunits of CHRN in testis. Expression of the alpha 7-subunit of CHRN was widespread in spermatogonia, spermatocytes within seminiferous tubules as well as within Sertoli cells. Spermatogonia and spermatocytes also expressed the alpha 4-subunit of CHRN. The presence of ACh in testicular parenchyma (TP), capsule and isolated germ cells could be demonstrated by HPLC. Taken together, our results reveal the presence of a non-neuronal cholinergic system in rat TP suggesting a potentially important role for non-neuronal ACh and its receptors in germ cell differentiation. Reproduction (2011) 142 157-166