ABCA4 is an N-retinylidene-phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylethanolamine importer.

ABSTRACT: ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters comprise a superfamily of proteins, which actively transport a variety of compounds across cell membranes. Mammalian and most eukaryotic ABC transporters function as exporters, flipping or extruding substrates from the cytoplasmic to the extracellular or lumen side of cell membranes. Prokaryotic ABC transporters function either as exporters or importers. Here we show that ABCA4, an ABC transporter found in retinal photoreceptor cells and associated with Stargardt macular degeneration, is a novel importer that actively flips N-retinylidene-phosphatidylethanolamine from the lumen to the cytoplasmic leaflet of disc membranes, thereby facilitating the removal of potentially toxic retinoid compounds from photoreceptors. ABCA4 also actively transports phos

SUBMITTER: Quazi F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3871175 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature