Localization of the Na(+)-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2 in the cerebral cortex

We studied the distribution and cellular localization of Na(+)-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2, a member of the system A family of amino acid transporters, in the rat and human cerebral cortex using immunocytochemical methods. Na(+)-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2-positive neurons were pyramidal and non-pyramidal, and Na(+)-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2/GABA double-labeling studies revealed that Na(+)-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2 was highly expressed by GABAergic neurons. Double-labeling studies with the synaptophysin indicated that rare axon terminals express Na(+)-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2. Na(+)-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2-immunoreactivity was also found in astrocytes, leptomeninges, ependymal cells and choroid plexus. Electron microscopy showed robust Na(+)-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2-immunoreactivity in the somato-dendritic compartment of neurons and in glial processes, but, as in the case of double-labeling studies, failed to reveal Na(+)-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2-immunoreactivity in terminals. To rule out the possibility that the absence of Na(+)-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 1- and Na(+)-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2-positive terminals was due to insufficient antigen detection, we evaluated Na(+)-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 1/synaptophysin and Na(+)-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2/synaptophysin coexpression using non-standard immunocytochemical procedures and found that Na(+)-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 1 and Na(+)-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2+ terminals were rare in all conditions. These findings indicate that Na(+)-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 1 and Na(+)-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2 are virtually absent in cortical terminals, and suggest that they do not contribute significantly to replenishing the Glu and GABA transmitter pools through the glutamate-glutamine cycle. The strong expression of Na(+)-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2 in the somato-dendritic compartment and in non-neuronal elements that are integral parts of the blood-brain and brain-cerebrospinal fluid barrier suggests that Na(+)-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2 plays a role in regulating the levels of Gln and other amino acids in the metabolic compartment of cortical neurons.     

Meta‐analysis of association between obsessive‐compulsive disorder and the 3′ region of neuronal glutamate transporter gene SLC1A1

The neuronal glutamate transporter gene SLC1A1 is a candidate gene for obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD) based on linkage studies and convergent evidence implicating glutamate in OCD etiology. The 3′ end of SLC1A1 is the only genomic region with consistently demonstrated OCD association, especially when analyzing male‐only probands. However, specific allele associations have not been consistently replicated, and recent OCD genome‐wide association and meta‐analysis studies have not incorporated all previously associated SLC1A1 SNPs. To clarify the nature of association between SLC1A1 and OCD, pooled analysis was performed on all available relevant raw study data, comprising a final sample of 815 trios, 306 cases and 634 controls. This revealed weak association between OCD and one of nine tested SLC1A1 polymorphisms (rs301443; uncorrected P = 0.046; non‐significant corrected P). Secondary analyses of male‐affecteds only (N = 358 trios and 133 cases) demonstrated modest association between OCD and a different SNP (rs12682807; uncorrected P = 0.012; non‐significant corrected P). Findings of this meta‐analysis are consistent with the trend of previous candidate gene studies in psychiatry and do not clarify the putative role of SLC1A1 in OCD pathophysiology. Nonetheless, it may be important to further examine the potential associations demonstrated in this amalgamated sample, especially since the SNPs with modest associations were not included in the more highly powered recent GWAS or in a past meta‐analysis including five SLC1A1 polymorphisms. This study underscores the need for much larger sample sizes in future genetic association studies and suggests that next‐generation sequencing may be beneficial in examining the potential role of rare variants in OCD. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Identification of 12 novel mutations in the SLC3A1 gene in Swedish cystinuria patients

Cystinuria is an autosomal recessive disorder that affects luminal transport of cystine and dibasic amino acids in the kidneys and the small intestine. Three subtypes of cystinuria can be defined biochemically, and the classical form (type I) has been associated with mutations in the amino acid transporter gene SLC3A1. The mutations detected in SLC3A1 tend to be population specific and have not been previously investigated in Sweden. We have screened the entire coding sequence and the intron/exon boundaries of the SLC3A1 gene in 53 cystinuria patients by means of single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and DNA sequencing. We identified 12 novel mutations (a 2 bp deletion, one splice site mutation, and 10 missense mutations) and detected another three mutations that were previously reported. Five polymorphisms were also identified, four of which were formerly described. The most frequent mutation in this study was the previously reported M467T and it was also detected in the normal population with an allelic frequency of 0.5%. Thirty‐seven patients were homozygous for mutations in the SLC3A1 gene and another seven were heterozygous which implies that other genes may be involved in cystinuria. Future investigation of the non‐type I cystinuria gene SLC7A9 may complement our results but recent studies also suggest the presence of other potential disease genes. Hum Mutat 18:516–525, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Effects of glutamate and aspartate on growth performance,serum amino acids,and amino acid transporters in piglets

This study mainly investigated the effects of different dietary levels of glutamate (Glu) and aspartate (Asp) on growth performance, blood amino acids, and amino acid transporters in piglets. Forty-two healthy piglets were randomly divided into six groups (n?=?7): a control group in which piglets were fed 2.9% Glu and 1.5% Asp and other groups in which piglets received 1.3% or 1.7% Asp and 2.6%, 3.2%, or 3.5% Glu for 21 days. Growth performance, serum amino acid profiles from the mesenteric vein, portal vein, and anterior vena cava, and amino acid transporters in the liver were determined. The results showed that lower doses of Asp promoted growth and enhanced the amino acids, while high doses of Asp and Glu reduced growth and the amino acid pool in piglets (P?P?P?相似文献   

Molecular Genetic Analysis of SLC3A1 and SLC7A9 Genes in Czech and Slovak Cystinuric Patients

Cystinuria is a frequently inherited metabolic disorder in the Czech population (frequency 1/5,600) caused by a defect in the renal transport of cystine and dibasic amino acids (arginine, lysine and ornithine). The disease is characterized by increased urinary excretion of the amino acids and often leads to recurrent nephrolithiasis. Cystinuria is classified into two subtypes (type I and type non‐I). Type I is caused predominantly by mutations in the SLC3A1 gene (2p16.3), encoding heavy subunit (rBAT) of the heterodimeric transporter. Cystinuria non‐I type is caused by mutations in the SLC7A9 gene (19q13.1). In this study, we present results of molecular genetic analysis of the SLC3A1 and the SLC7A9 genes in 24 unrelated cystinuria families. Individual exons of the SLC3A1 and SLC7A9 genes were analyzed by direct sequencing. We found ten different mutations in the SLC3A1 gene including six novel ones: three missense mutations (G140R), D179Y and R365P), one splice site mutation (1137‐2A>G), one deletion (1515_1516delAA), and one nonsense mutation (Q119X). The most frequent mutation, M467T; was detected in 36% of all type I classified alleles. In the SLC7A9 gene we found six mutations including three new ones: one missense mutation (G319R), one insertion (611_612insA) and one deletion (205_206delTG). One patient was compound heterozygote for one SLC3A1 and one SLC7A9 mutation. Our results confirm that cystinuria is a heterogeneous disorder at the molecular level, and contribute to the understanding of the distribution and frequency of mutations causing cystinuria in the Caucasian population.     

Cloning and characterization of Fpmtr1, an amino acid transporter gene of Fusarium proliferatum (Gibberella intermedia)

Fpmtr1, an amino acid transporter gene from Fusarium proliferatum was strongly expressed during conidial germination and repressed in late stationary phase. To identify the specific function of this gene, DeltaFpmtr1 knock-out mutants were generated by gene replacement. Vegetative growth of the DeltaFpmtr1 mutants was normal both in liquid and on solid media, but conidial germination was delayed. The DeltaFpmtr1 mutants and the wild type were equally fertile when used as males in sexual crosses, however if the mutants were used as the female parent then the fertility of the cross decreased dramatically. Inactivation of Fpmtr1 abolished vegetative self-incompatibility in strain ITEM 2287 of F. proliferatum, but the DeltaFpmtr1 mutants were still vegetatively incompatible with the other strains of the fungus. Endophytic colonization capability of the mutants, assessed on maize seedlings also was adversely affected. These data suggest that Fpmtr1 is involved in multiple developmental processes related to both sexual and parasexual events in F. proliferatum. Furthermore, the fungus might have problems in adapting to a less than optimal environment if this otherwise dispensable transporter has been inactivated.     

CATs and HATs: the SLC7 family of amino acid transporters

The SLC7 family is divided into two subgroups, the cationic amino acid transporters (the CAT family, SLC7A1–4) and the glycoprotein-associated amino acid transporters (the gpaAT family, SLC7A5–11), also called light chains or catalytic chains of the hetero(di)meric amino acid transporters (HAT). The associated glycoproteins (heavy chains) 4F2hc (CD98) or rBAT (D2, NBAT) form the SLC3 family. Members of the CAT family transport essentially cationic amino acids by facilitated diffusion with differential trans-stimulation by intracellular substrates. In some cells, they may regulate the rate of NO synthesis by controlling the uptake of l-arginine as the substrate for nitric oxide synthase (NOS). The heterodimeric amino acid transporters are, in contrast, quite diverse in terms of substrate selectivity and function (mostly) as obligatory exchangers. Their selectivity ranges from large neutral amino acids (system L) to small neutral amino acids (ala, ser, cys-preferring, system asc), negatively charged amino acid (system x_c^–) and cationic amino acids plus neutral amino acids (system y⁺L and b^0,+-like). Cotransport of Na⁺ is observed only for the y⁺L transporters when they carry neutral amino acids. Mutations in b^0,+-like and y⁺L transporters lead to the hereditary diseases cystinuria and lysinuric protein intolerance (LPI), respectively.     

乳腺癌中印记基因SLC22A18/TSSC5/BWR1A启动子区甲基化及mRNA表达的研究

目的： 研究印记基因SLC22A18启动子区甲基化对乳腺侵润性导管癌组织中的SLC22A18 mRNA表达的影响，探讨其与临床病理特征之间的关系。方法：实时荧光定量逆转录聚合酶链反应（real-time quantitative RT-PCR）方法检测40例乳腺侵润性导管癌及其癌旁组织中SLC22A18 mRNA的表达，甲基化特异性聚合酶链反应(MSP)检测SLC22A18基因启动子区的甲基化状态。检测DNA甲基转移酶抑制剂5-氮杂-2′-脱氧胞苷（5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine，5-aza-dc）和组蛋白去乙酰化酶抑制剂曲古霉素A（TSA）作用于乳腺癌细胞株MDA-MB-231后，对SLC22A18基因启动子区DNA甲基化和mRNA表达的影响。结果：SLC22A18在40例乳腺侵润性导管癌中mRNA表达量低于癌旁组织（0.12±0.10 vs 0.69±1.05，P＜0.01）；40例乳腺侵润性导管癌及对应癌旁组织中，SLC22A18启动子区的甲基化发生率分别为75％和37.5%，差异有统计学意义（P＜0.01）；在40例乳腺侵润性导管癌组织中，甲基化组SLC22A18 mRNA表达量低于非甲基化组（0.11±0.08 vs 0.24±0.18，P＜0.01）。5-aza-dc和5-aza-dc/TSA能不同程度逆转乳腺癌细胞株MDA-MB-231中SLC22A18基因的甲基化状态，并上调SLC22A18基因表达。结论：SLC22A18基因甲基化与乳腺癌发生有一定的关联，SLC22A18基因表达下调与其启动子区CpG岛异常甲基化相关。     

A homozygous mutation in SLC1A4 in siblings with severe intellectual disability and microcephaly

We performed exome analysis in two affected siblings with severe intellectual disability (ID), microcephaly and spasticity from an Ashkenazi Jewish consanguineous family. We identified only one rare variant, a missense in SLC1A4 (c. 766G>A [p. E256K]), that is homozygous in both siblings but not in any of their 11 unaffected siblings or their parents (Logarithm of odds, LOD score: 2.6). This variant is predicted damaging. We genotyped 450 controls of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry and identified only 5 individuals who are heterozygous for this variant (minor allele frequency: 0.0056). SLC1A4 (ASCT1) encodes a transporter for neutral aminoacids such as alanine, serine, cysteine and threonine. l ‐Serine is essential for neuronal survival and differentiation. Indeed, l ‐serine biosynthesis disorders affect brain development and cause severe ID. In the brain, l ‐serine is synthesized in astrocytes but not in neurons. It has been proposed that ASCT1 mediates the uptake of l ‐serine into neurons and the release of glia‐borne l ‐serine to neighboring cells. SLC1A4 disruption may thus impair brain development and function by decreasing the levels of l ‐serine in neurons. The identification of additional families with mutations in SLC1A4 would be necessary to confirm its involvement in ID.     

The novel p.Ser263Phe mutation in the human high‐affinity choline transporter 1 (CHT1/SLC5A7) causes a lethal form of fetal akinesia syndrome

A subset of a larger and heterogeneous class of disorders, the congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS) are caused by pathogenic variants in genes encoding proteins that support the integrity and function of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). A central component of the NMJ is the sodium‐dependent high‐affinity choline transporter 1 (CHT1), a solute carrier protein (gene symbol SLC5A7), responsible for the reuptake of choline into nerve termini has recently been implicated as one of several autosomal recessive causes of CMS. We report the identification and functional characterization of a novel pathogenic variant in SLC5A7, c.788C>T (p.Ser263Phe) in an El Salvadorian family with a lethal form of a congenital myasthenic syndrome characterized by fetal akinesia. This study expands the clinical phenotype and insight into a form of fetal akinesia related to CHT1 defects and proposes a genotype‐phenotype correlation for the lethal form of SLC5A7‐related disorder with potential implications for genetic counseling.     

No association or linkage between the 5-HT2a/T102C polymorphism and schizophrenia in Irish families

Recent findings of an association between schizophrenia and a T102C polymorphism at the 5-HT^2a receptor gene (particularly with genotype 1-2 and 2-2 and allele 2) prompted us to investigate this marker in familial Irish schizophrenic patients, their relatives, and ethnically matched unrelated controls; 247 probands and 249 controls were included in this study. In contrast to some studies, we found no evidence of significant differences either in the frequency of the genotypes 1-2 and 2-2 or allele 2 between the schizophrenic patients and the controls. A transmission disequilibrium test, run on the full set of 265 families yielded no evidence to support linkage disequilibrium. Linkage analysis with both parametric and non-parametric methods yielded strongly negative results. Our findings are consistent with other recent association studies which argue against the involvement of the 5-HT_2a/T102C polymorphism in predisposition to schizophrenia. The positive findings reported to date might have occurred by chance or the apparent conflict may be due to genetic heterogeneity between samples. Am. J. Med. Genet. 74:370–373, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

No genetic association between the SLC1A2 gene and Japanese patients with schizophrenia

Glutamatergic dysfunction may be a pathophysiological feature in the brains of schizophrenic patients. In addition to glutamate receptors, excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) have received much attention because they directly affect glutamatergic neurotransmission by excluding excessive glutamate from the synaptic cleft. Among these, EAAT2 (also known as solute carrier family 1, member 2; SLC1A2) has been widely studied in schizophrenia pathophysiology. During the last decade, we reported significant decreases in EAAT2 mRNA expression in the prefrontal cortex and parahippocampal gyrus in postmortem schizophrenic brains. Previously, a haplotype association between SLC1A2 and Japanese patients with schizophrenia was reported. In this study, we reinvestigated the association between SLC1A2 and schizophrenia by performing a case–control association study with twice as many subjects (401 cases and 407 controls) as compared to a previous study, and especially focused on the region where a previous association with schizophrenia had been shown. Our current results failed to show any significant association with schizophrenia in individual single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), two- and three-SNP-based haplotypes, or with possible pairwise haplotype analysis. SCL1A2 appears not to be a genetic risk factor for schizophrenia.     

Direct or indirect association in a complex disease: the role of SLC22A4 and SLC22A5 functional variants in Crohn disease

A common haplotype spanning 250 kb on chromosome 5q31 is strongly associated with Crohn disease (CD). Recently, two functional variants within the SLC22A4 and SLC22A5 genes at this locus (IBD5), L503F (c.1507C > T) and G-207C (c.-207G > C), have been proposed to contribute directly to susceptibility to CD. However, extensive linkage disequilibrium at the IBD5 locus has complicated efforts to distinguish causal variants from association of the general risk haplotype. We genotyped the SLC22A4 and SLC22A5 variants and other polymorphisms across the risk haplotype in four populations of European origin, and applied regression-based haplotype analysis to over 1,200 fully genotyped case-control pairs, modeling case/control status on the presence of one or more SNPs to test for conditional association and to identify risk haplotypes. We found highly significant association of SNPs at the IBD5 locus with Crohn disease in all populations tested. However, the frequencies of L503F and G-207C in individuals who did not carry the general IBD5 risk haplotype were not significantly different in cases and controls, with associated disease odds ratios (ORs) of 0.90 (95% CI, 0.57-1.40) and 0.90 (95% CI, 0.65-1.23), respectively. Haplotype analysis showed that addition of the SLC22A4 and SLC22A5 variants to a null model that included the background risk haplotype did not significantly improve the model fit. In addition to the common risk haplotype, several rare haplotypes had an increased frequency in cases compared to controls. This study suggests that the molecular basis for Crohn disease susceptibility at the IBD5 locus remains to be defined, and highlights the challenge of the identification of causal variants in a complex disease in regions of extensive linkage disequilibrium.     

Validation of dye-binding/high-resolution thermal denaturation for the identification of mutations in the SLC22A5 gene

Primary carnitine deficiency is an autosomal recessive disorder of fatty acid oxidation resulting from defective carnitine transport. This disease is caused by mutations in the OCTN2 carnitine transporter encoded by the SLC22A5 gene. Here we validate dye-binding/high-resolution thermal denaturation as a screening procedure to identify novel mutations in this gene. This procedure is based on the amplification of DNA by PCR in capillaries with the dsDNA binding dye LCGreen I. The PCR reaction is then analyzed in the same capillary by high-resolution thermal denaturation. Samples with abnormal melting profiles are sequenced. This technique correctly identified all known patients who were compound heterozygotes for different mutations in the carnitine transporter gene and about 30% of homozygous patients. The remaining 70% of homozygous patients were identified by a second amplification, in which the patient's DNA was mixed with the DNA of a normal control. This screening system correctly identified eight novel mutations and both abnormal alleles in six new families with primary carnitine deficiency. The causative role of the missense mutations identified (c.3G>T/p.M1I, c.695C>T/p.T232M, and c.1403 C>G/p.T468R) was confirmed by expression in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. These results expand the mutational spectrum in primary carnitine deficiency and indicate dye-binding/high-resolution thermal denaturation as an ideal system to screen for mutations in diseases with no prevalent molecular alteration.     

Identification and characterization of the human and mouse SLC19A3 gene: a novel member of the reduced folate family of micronutrient transporter genes

We report here the isolation, characterization, and chromosomal localization of the genes encoding the human and corresponding murine orthologue of solute carrier family 19A member 3 (SLC19A3). Human SLC19A3 encodes a 496-amino-acid residue protein with a predicted molecular weight of 56 kDa that shares sequence similarity to both SLC19A1 (reduced folate transporter (RFC-1)) and SLC19A2 (high affinity thiamine transporter (THTR-1)). Like the SLC19A1 and SLC19A2 proteins, SLC19A3 contains 12 putative transmembrane domains. The human SLC19A3 gene is widely expressed, with the most abundant expression observed in placenta, kidney, and liver, and has been mapped to chromosome 2q37. The murine SLC19A3 gene maps to central chromosome 1 in the region defined as a seizure susceptibility locus in the DBA/2J mouse strain. This article describes the identification of SLC19A3, a gene encoding a novel solute transporter, and establishes murine SLC19A3 as a candidate gene for seizures in the DBA/2J mouse.