title: Transporter oligomerization: form and function.
abstract: Transporters are integral membrane proteins with central roles in the efficient movement of molecules across biological membranes. Many transporters exist as oligomers in the membrane. Depending on the individual transport protein, oligomerization can have roles in membrane trafficking, function, regulation and turnover. For example, our recent studies on UapA, a nucleobase ascorbate transporter, from Aspergillus nidulans, have revealed both that dimerization of this protein is essential for correct trafficking to the membrane and the structural basis of how one UapA protomer can affect the function of the closely associated adjacent protomer. Here, we review the roles of oligomerization in many particularly well-studied transporters and transporter families.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
authors.forename: Yilmaz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Alguel
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, U.K.
authors.forename: Alexander D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Cameron
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis 15781 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Diallinas
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
authors.forename: Bernadette
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Byrne
mesh_terms: D001692:Biological Transport; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009154:Mutation; D011487:Protein Conformation; D055503:Protein Multimerization
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; C083852:UAPA protein, Aspergillus nidulans
keywords: integral membrane transporter; oligomerization; regulation of transporter function; trafficking; transporter function