A guide to plasma membrane solute carrier proteins

• Published in: The FEBS journal Vol. 288; no. 9; pp. 2784 - 2835
• Main Authors: Pizzagalli, Mattia D., Bensimon, Ariel, Superti‐Furga, Giulio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.05.2021; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: A Guide To; amino acids; Cancer; Cell membranes; Cell surface; cellular metabolism; cellular transport; Environmental conditions; Environmental regulations; glucose; humans; Metabolism; Organelles; physiology; plasma membrane; Protein transport; Proteins; Reviews; solute carrier transporter; solutes; glucose; plasma membrane; cellular transport; amino acids; cellular metabolism; solute carrier transporter; cell surface; pH; physiology; cancer
• ISSN: 1742-464X; 1742-4658; 1742-4658
• DOI: 10.1111/febs.15531

This review aims to serve as an introduction to the solute carrier proteins (SLC) superfamily of transporter proteins and their roles in human cells. The SLC superfamily currently includes 458 transport proteins in 65 families that carry a wide variety of substances across cellular membranes. While members of this superfamily are found throughout cellular organelles, this review focuses on transporters expressed at the plasma membrane. At the cell surface, SLC proteins may be viewed as gatekeepers of the cellular milieu, dynamically responding to different metabolic states. With altered metabolism being one of the hallmarks of cancer, we also briefly review the roles that surface SLC proteins play in the development and progression of cancer through their influence on regulating metabolism and environmental conditions. In this ‘A Guide to SLC proteins’, we focus on transporter proteins—known as solute carriers (SLCs)—expressed on the plasma membrane. We aim to provide a useful survey of how metabolites and ions are transported between the extracellular and intracellular milieus. With altered metabolism being one of the hallmarks of cancer, we also briefly review roles that surface SLCs play in the development and progression of cancer.