the-aps.org>meetings>eb

The SLC26 Transporter family and Epithelial Function
Transporters Track

In the late 1990’s, the SLC26 gene family emerged as a group of anion exchangers (AE) that were structurally distinct from the classical AE (now SLC4) gene family. The physiological importance of the SLC26 transporters is emphasized by the fact that mutations in at least three of the family members are associated with human disease; SLC26A2 (diastrophic dysplasia, a cartilage disorder resulting in growth retardation), SLC26A3 (congenital chloride diarrhoea) and SLC26A4 (deafness and thyroid disorders known as pendred syndrome).  Eleven family members (SLC26A1-A11) have been cloned to date, and all, except SLC26A5 (prestin), appear to function as anion exchangers, transporting both monovalent and divalent anions, but with a diversity of anion specificity and stoichiometry. 

Despite the increasing interest in the role of these transporters in epithelial function, there are a number of key areas in which we have little information, or where this exists, conflicting results have so far been obtained.  These key areas include: substrate specificity; whether the transporters are electroneutral or electrogenic and indeed, if some family members function as ion channels, and not exchangers.  There is also little information about the cellular mechanisms that are used to regulate the activity of these transporters either at the genomic or protein level. One theme that is emerging is that a number of family members interact with other proteins, either directly or indirectly through interactions with PDZ-domain scaffolding proteins, and which appears to be important for transporter function. However, the physiological consequence of such interactions is still far from clear.  

The aim of this symposium is to provide a forum for presentation of current data on all of these major themes by researchers at the cutting edge of SLC26 research. This symposium is important as it will provide thorough and up to date information about the fundamental properties of this new and important family of epithelial anion transporters.