SLC2A9 is a high-capacity urate transporter in humans.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Serum uric acid levels in humans are influenced by diet, cellular breakdown, and renal elimination, and correlate with blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, gout, and cardiovascular disease. Recent genome-wide association scans have found common genetic variants of SLC2A9 to be associated with increased serum urate level and gout. The SLC2A9 gene encodes a facilitative glucose transporter, and it has two splice variants that are highly expressed in the proximal nephron, a key site for urate handling in the kidney. We investigated whether SLC2A9 is a functional urate transporter that contributes to the longstanding association between urate and blood pressure in man.

Methods and findings

We expressed both SLC2A9 splice variants in Xenopus laevis oocytes and

SUBMITTER: Caulfield MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2561076 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature