Urea transporter 2 explained

Urea transporter 2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SLC14A2 gene.^{[1] [2]}

Function

In mammalian cells, urea is the chief end-product of nitrogen catabolism and plays an important role in the urinary concentration mechanism. Thus, the plasma membrane of erythrocytes and some renal epithelial cells exhibit an elevated urea permeability that is mediated by highly selective urea transporters. In mammals, two urea transporters have been identified: the renal tubular urea transporter, UT2 (UT-A), and the erythrocyte urea transporter, UT11 (also called UT-B, coded for by the SLC14A1 gene).^[2] SLC14A2 and SLC14A1 constitute solute carrier family 14.

Further reading

• Smith CP, Fenton RA . Genomic organization of the mammalian SLC14a2 urea transporter genes. . J. Membr. Biol. . 212 . 2 . 109–17 . 2007 . 17264986 . 10.1007/s00232-006-0870-z . 12514783 .
• Olives B, Neau P, Bailly P, etal . Cloning and functional expression of a urea transporter from human bone marrow cells. . J. Biol. Chem. . 269 . 50 . 31649–52 . 1995 . 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)31744-7 . 7989337 . free .
• Bradford AD, Terris JM, Ecelbarger CA, etal . 97- and 117-kDa forms of collecting duct urea transporter UT-A1 are due to different states of glycosylation. . Am. J. Physiol. Renal Physiol. . 281 . 1 . F133–43 . 2001 . 11399654 . 10.1152/ajprenal.2001.281.1.F133. 393209 .
• Bagnasco SM, Peng T, Janech MG, etal . Cloning and characterization of the human urea transporter UT-A1 and mapping of the human Slc14a2 gene. . Am. J. Physiol. Renal Physiol. . 281 . 3 . F400–6 . 2001 . 11502588 . 10.1152/ajprenal.2001.281.3.F400. 17458312 .
• Strausberg RL, Feingold EA, Grouse LH, etal . Generation and initial analysis of more than 15,000 full-length human and mouse cDNA sequences. . Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. . 99 . 26 . 16899–903 . 2003 . 12477932 . 10.1073/pnas.242603899 . 139241 . 2002PNAS...9916899M . free .
• Jung JY, Madsen KM, Han KH, etal . Expression of urea transporters in potassium-depleted mouse kidney. . Am. J. Physiol. Renal Physiol. . 285 . 6 . F1210–24 . 2003 . 12952854 . 10.1152/ajprenal.00111.2003 .
• Smith CP, Potter EA, Fenton RA, Stewart GS . Characterization of a human colonic cDNA encoding a structurally novel urea transporter, hUT-A6. . Am. J. Physiol., Cell Physiol. . 287 . 4 . C1087–93 . 2004 . 15189812 . 10.1152/ajpcell.00363.2003 . 26010752 .
• Damiano AE, Zotta E, Ibarra C . Functional and molecular expression of AQP9 channel and UT-A transporter in normal and preeclamptic human placentas. . Placenta . 27 . 11–12 . 1073–81 . 2006 . 16480766 . 10.1016/j.placenta.2005.11.014 .
• Hong X, Xing H, Yu Y, etal . Genetic polymorphisms of the urea transporter gene are associated with antihypertensive response to nifedipine GITS. . Methods and Findings in Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology . 29 . 1 . 3–10 . 2007 . 17344938 . 10.1358/mf.2007.29.1.1063490 .

Notes and References

1. Olives B, Martial S, Mattei MG, Matassi G, Rousselet G, Ripoche P, Cartron JP, Bailly P . Molecular characterization of a new urea transporter in the human kidney . FEBS Lett . 386 . 2–3 . 156–60 . Jul 1996 . 8647271 . 10.1016/0014-5793(96)00425-5 . 13312002 .
2. Web site: Entrez Gene: SLC14A2 solute carrier family 14 (urea transporter), member 2.