SLC3A2

This gene is a member of the solute carrier family and encodes a cell surface, transmembrane protein. The protein exists as the heavy chain of a heterodimer, covalently bound through di-sulfide bonds to one of several possible light chains. The encoded transporter plays a role in regulation of intracellular calcium levels and transports L-type amino acids. Alternatively spliced transcript variants, encoding different isoforms, have been characterized. [provided by RefSeq, Nov 2010]

Solute Carrier Family 3 Member 2

Component of several heterodimeric complexes involved in amino acid transport (PubMed:11557028, PubMed:9829974, PubMed:9751058, PubMed:10391915, PubMed:10574970, PubMed:11311135, PubMed:30341327).
The precise substrate specificity depends on the other subunit in the heterodimer (PubMed:9829974, PubMed:9751058, PubMed:10391915, PubMed:10574970, PubMed:30867591, PubMed:10903140).
The complexes function as amino acid exchangers (PubMed:11557028, PubMed:10903140, PubMed:12117417, PubMed:12225859, PubMed:30867591).
The homodimer functions as sodium-independent, high-affinity transporter that mediates uptake of large neutral amino acids such as phenylalanine, tyrosine, L-DOPA, leucine, histidine, methionine and tryptophan (PubMed:9751058, PubMed:11557028, PubMed:11311135, PubMed:11564694, PubMed:12117417, PubMed:12225859, PubMed:25998567, PubMed:30867591).
The heterodimer formed by SLC3A2 and SLC7A6 or SLC3A2 and SLC7A7 mediates the uptake of dibasic amino acids (PubMed:9829974, PubMed:10903140).
The heterodimer with SLC7A5/LAT1 mediates the transport of thyroid hormones triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) across the cell membrane (PubMed:11564694, PubMed:12225859).
The heterodimer with SLC7A5/LAT1 is involved in the uptake of toxic methylmercury (MeHg) when administered as the L-cysteine or D,L-homocysteine complexes (PubMed:12117417).
The heterodimer with SLC7A5/LAT1 is involved in the uptake of leucine (PubMed:25998567, PubMed:30341327).
When associated with LAPTM4B, the heterodimer with SLC7A5/LAT1 is recruited to lysosomes to promote leucine uptake into these organelles, and thereby mediates mTORC1 activation (PubMed:25998567).
The heterodimer with SLC7A5/LAT1 may play a role in the transport of L-DOPA across the blood-brain barrier (By similarity).
The heterodimer formed by SLC3A2 and SLC7A5/LAT1 or SLC3A2 and SLC7A8/LAT2 is involved in the cellular activity of small molecular weight nitrosothiols, via the stereoselective transport of L-nitrosocysteine (L-CNSO) across the transmembrane (PubMed:15769744).
Together with ICAM1, regulates the transport activity of SLC7A8/LAT2 in polarized intestinal cells by generating and delivering intracellular signals (PubMed:12716892).
Required for targeting of SLC7A5/LAT1 and SLC7A8/LAT2 to the plasma membrane and for channel activity (PubMed:9751058, PubMed:11311135, PubMed:30867591).
Plays a role in nitric oxide synthesis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) via transport of L-arginine (PubMed:14603368).
May mediate blood-to-retina L-leucine transport across the inner blood-retinal barrier (By similarity).
(Microbial infection) In case of hepatitis C virus/HCV infection, the complex formed by SLC3A2 and SLC7A5/LAT1 plays a role in HCV propagation by facilitating viral entry into host cell and increasing L-leucine uptake-mediated mTORC1 signaling activation, thereby contributing to HCV-mediated pathogenesis.

Biological Process amino acid transportManual Assertion Based On ExperimentTAS:UniProtKB
Biological Process calcium ion transport1 PublicationNAS:UniProtKB
Biological Process carbohydrate metabolic processIEA:InterPro
Biological Process L-alanine import across plasma membraneManual Assertion Based On ExperimentIGI:ARUK-UCL
Biological Process L-leucine import across plasma membraneManual Assertion Based On ExperimentIGI:ARUK-UCL
Biological Process leucine import across plasma membraneManual Assertion Based On ExperimentIGI:ARUK-UCL
Biological Process leucine transportManual Assertion Based On ExperimentIMP:UniProtKB
Biological Process phenylalanine transportManual Assertion Based On ExperimentIGI:ARUK-UCL
Biological Process response to exogenous dsRNAManual Assertion Based On ExperimentIMP:MGI
Biological Process tryptophan transportISS:UniProtKB
Biological Process viral entry into host cellManual Assertion Based On ExperimentIMP:UniProtKB

Cytoplasmic: 102-184
Helical: 185-205
Extracellular: 206-630

Phosphorylation on Ser-406; Ser-408 or Ser-410 and on Ser-527 or Ser-531 by ecto-protein kinases favors heterotypic cell-cell interactions.