Monocarboxylate transporter

The monocarboxylate transporters,[1] or MCTs, are a family of proton-linked plasma membrane transporters that carry molecules having one carboxylate group (monocarboxylates), such as lactate, pyruvate, and ketones across biological membranes.[2] Acetate is actively transported to intestinal enteroendocrine cells via MCT, termed Targ (short for Tarag in Mongolian).[3] MCTs are expressed in nearly every kind of cell.[4]

There are 14 MCTs corresponding to 14 solute carrier 16A transporters, although the cardinal numbers do not match (for example MCT3 is SLC16A8).[2] MCTs 1-4 have been more carefully investigated than MCTs 5-14.[2]

MCTs can be upregulated by PPAR-α, HIF-1α, Nrf2, and AMPK.[2]

  1. ^ Halestrap AP, Meredith D (2004). "The SLC16 gene family-from monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) to aromatic amino acid transporters and beyond". Pflügers Arch. 447 (5): 619–28. doi:10.1007/s00424-003-1067-2. PMID 12739169. S2CID 15498611.
  2. ^ a b c d Felmlee MA, Jones RS, Morris ME (2020). "Monocarboxylate Transporters (SLC16): Function, Regulation, and Role in Health and Disease". Pharmacological Reviews. 72 (2): 466–485. doi:10.1124/pr.119.018762. PMC 7062045. PMID 32144120.
  3. ^ Jugder, Bat-Erdene; Kamareddine, Layla; Watnick, Paula I. (August 2021). "Microbiota-derived acetate activates intestinal innate immunity via the Tip60 histone acetyltransferase complex". Immunity. doi:10.1016/j.immuni.2021.05.017. PMC 8363570.
  4. ^ Parks, Scott K.; Mueller-Klieser, Wolfgang; Pouysségur, Jacques (2020). "Lactate and Acidity in the Cancer Microenvironment". Annual Review of Cancer Biology. 4: 141–158. doi:10.1146/annurev-cancerbio-030419-033556.