title: Genes and proteins of urea transporters.
abstract: A urea transporter protein in the kidney was first proposed in 1987. The first urea transporter cDNA was cloned in 1993. The SLC14a urea transporter family contains two major subgroups: SLC14a1, the UT-B urea transporter originally isolated from erythrocytes; and SLC14a2, the UT-A group originally isolated from kidney inner medulla. Slc14a1, the human UT-B gene, arises from a single locus located on chromosome 18q12.1-q21.1, which is located close to Slc14a2. Slc14a1 includes 11 exons, with the coding region extending from exon 4 to exon 11, and is approximately 30 kb in length. The Slc14a2 gene is a very large gene with 24 exons, is approximately 300 kb in length, and encodes 6 different isoforms. Slc14a2 contains two promoter elements: promoter I is located in the typical position, upstream of exon 1, and drives the transcription of UT-A1, UT-A1b, UT-A3, UT-A3b, and UT-A4; while promoter II is located within intron 12 and drives the transcription of UT-A2 and UT-A2b. UT-A1 and UT-A3 are located in the inner medullary collecting duct, UT-A2 in the thin descending limb and liver, UT-A5 in testis, UT-A6 in colon, UT-B1 primarily in descending vasa recta and erythrocytes, and UT-B2 in rumen.
authors.affiliation: Renal Division, Department of Medicine and Department of Physiology, Emory University School of Medicine, WMB Room 338, 1639 Pierce Drive, NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA, jeff.sands@emory.edu.
authors.forename: Jeff M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sands
authors.forename: Mitsi A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Blount
mesh_terms: D001692:Biological Transport; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D007679:Kidney Medulla / Q000378:metabolism*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D014508:Urea / Q000378:metabolism; D000096982:Urea Transporters
chemical_list: D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D014508:Urea; D000096982:Urea Transporters