Heteromeric amino acid transporters (HATs) are composed of two subunits, a heavy (SLC3 family) and a light subunit [SLC7 or L-type amino acid transporter (LAT) family]linked by a conserved disulfide bridge []. HATs are amino acid exchangers, and the transport activity resides in the light subunit. The heavy chain ofthe surface antigen 4F2 (4F2hc), also known as amino acid transporter heavy chain SLC3A2, is a HAT heavy subunit [, ]. 4F2hc controls the cell surface expression as well as the membrane topology of the 4F2 heterodimer [].SLC3A2 is essential for plasma membrane localization, stability, and the transport activity of SLC7A5 and SLC7A8 []. It forms heterodimers with SLC7 family transporters (SLC7A5, SLC7A6, SLC7A7, SLC7A8, SLC7A10 and SLC7A11), a group of amino-acid antiporters [, , , ]. The heterodimer with SLC7A11 functions as an antiporter by mediating the exchange of extracellular anionic L-cystine and intracellular L-glutamate across the cellular plasma membrane [].This entry represents the N-terminal domain of SLC3A2.
Heteromeric amino acid transporters (HATs) are composed of two subunits, a heavy (SLC3 family) and a light subunit [SLC7 or L-type amino acid transporter (LAT) family]linked by a conserved disulfide bridge []. HATs are amino acid exchangers, and the transport activity resides in the light subunit. The heavy chain of the surface antigen 4F2 (4F2hc), also known as amino acid transporter heavy chain SLC3A2, is a HAT heavy subunit [, ]. 4F2hc controls the cell surface expression as well as the membrane topology of the 4F2 heterodimer [].SLC3A2 is essential for plasma membrane localization, stability, and the transport activity of SLC7A5 and SLC7A8 []. It forms heterodimers with SLC7 family transporters (SLC7A5, SLC7A6, SLC7A7, SLC7A8, SLC7A10 and SLC7A11), a group of amino-acid antiporters [, , , ]. The heterodimer with SLC7A11 functions as an antiporter by mediating the exchange of extracellular anionic L-cystine and intracellular L-glutamate across the cellular plasma membrane [].
