Thyroid hormone transporters: recent advances.
Thyroid hormones, being hydrophobic, were thought to enter target cell membranes by passive diffusion. However, recent studies have documented the existence of numerous organic anion transport systems, about half of which also transport thyroid hormones into (and possibly out of) a variety of target cells. Several of the genes encoding thyroid hormone transporters have been characterized by means of molecular approaches. Here, we discuss the classification of thyroid hormone transporters, with emphasis on how they are influenced by their ionic milieu and what their symported organic anions are.
Division of Nephrology, Endocrinology and Vascular Medicine, Dept Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine and PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Corporation (JST), Japan. takaabe@mail.cc.tohoku.ac.jp
Takaaki
T
Abe
Takehiro
T
Suzuki
Michiaki
M
Unno
Taro
T
Tokui
Sadayoshi
S
Ito
D026905:Amino Acid Transport Systems / Q000378:metabolism; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000502:physiology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D027362:Organic Anion Transport Protein 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D027361:Organic Anion Transporters / Q000378:metabolism*; D029362:Organic Anion Transporters, Sodium-Independent / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D013499:Surface Properties; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*
D026905:Amino Acid Transport Systems; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D027362:Organic Anion Transport Protein 1; D027361:Organic Anion Transporters; D029362:Organic Anion Transporters, Sodium-Independent; D013963:Thyroid Hormones; C114338:organic anion transport protein 3