title: The concentrative nucleoside transporter family (SLC28): new roles beyond salvage?
abstract: The concentrative nucleoside transporter (CNT) family (SLC28) has three members: SLC28A1 (CNT1), SLC28A2 (CNT2) and SLC28A3 (CNT3). The CNT1 and CNT2 transporters are co-expressed in liver parenchymal cells and macrophages, two suitable models in which to study cell cycle progression. Despite initial observations suggesting that these transporter proteins might contribute to nucleoside salvage during proliferation, their subcellular localization and regulatory properties suggest alternative roles in cell physiology. In particular, CNT2 is a suitable candidate for modulation of purinergic responses, since it is under the control of the adenosine 1 receptor. Increasing evidence also suggests a role for CNT2 in energy metabolism, since its activation relies on the opening of ATP-sensitive K(+) channels. Animal and cell models genetically modified to alter nucleoside transporter expression levels may help to elucidate the particular roles of CNT proteins in cell physiology.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 645, 08071 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aymerich
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Duflot
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fernández-Veledo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guillén-Gómez
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Huber-Ruano
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Casado
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pastor-Anglada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002453:Cell Cycle; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D033703:Nucleoside Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009705:Nucleosides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D033703:Nucleoside Transport Proteins; D009705:Nucleosides