| Structural highlights
Disease
SC6A6_HUMAN The disease is caused by variants affecting the gene represented in this entry.
Function
SC6A6_HUMAN Mediates sodium- and chloride-dependent transport of taurine (PubMed:31345061, PubMed:31903486, PubMed:8010975, PubMed:8382624, PubMed:8654117). Mediates transport of beta-alanine (PubMed:8010975). Can also mediate transport of hypotaurine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) (By similarity).[UniProtKB:O35316][1] [2] [3] [4] [5] Sodium-dependent taurine and beta-alanine transporter. Chloride ions are necessary for optimal uptake.[6] [7] [8]
Publication Abstract from PubMed
Taurine, a sulfur-containing amino acid, is vital for human health because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and osmoregulatory properties. Its homeostasis is maintained by the Na(+)/Cl(-)-dependent taurine transporter (TauT). Here, we present five atomic structures of human TauT: apo, taurine bound, and complexes with three taurine-mimetic inhibitors, including beta-alanine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and guanidinoethyl sulfonate (GES). The structures of taurine-, beta-alanine-, and GABA-bound human TauT (hTauT) in complex with NaCl adopt an occluded conformation, with ligands binding in a central pocket. With KCl, GES-bound hTauT adopts an inward-facing conformation, with two GES positioned along the substrate translocation pathway in a bipartite manner: one in the deep central cavity and the other precluding structural transition to the occluded state. The radioactive taurine uptake analyses clearly demonstrate the impact of residues on taurine recognition and inhibitor selection. These structures provide insights into the overall architecture, substrate coordination, and inhibitor recognition mechanism of TauT.
Structural determination of the human taurine transporter TauT reveals the mechanism of substrate and inhibitor recognition.,Lu Y, Ding D, Chen H, Jiang P, Luo J, Shan H, Wang G, Luo J, Yin Y Cell Rep. 2025 Nov 19;44(12):116591. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116591. PMID:41269860[9]
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
References
- ↑ Preising MN, Görg B, Friedburg C, Qvartskhava N, Budde BS, Bonus M, Toliat MR, Pfleger C, Altmüller J, Herebian D, Beyer M, Zöllner HJ, Wittsack HJ, Schaper J, Klee D, Zechner U, Nürnberg P, Schipper J, Schnitzler A, Gohlke H, Lorenz B, Häussinger D, Bolz HJ. Biallelic mutation of human SLC6A6 encoding the taurine transporter TAUT is linked to early retinal degeneration. FASEB J. 2019 Oct;33(10):11507-11527. PMID:31345061 doi:10.1096/fj.201900914RR
- ↑ Ansar M, Ranza E, Shetty M, Paracha SA, Azam M, Kern I, Iwaszkiewicz J, Farooq O, Pournaras CJ, Malcles A, Kecik M, Rivolta C, Muzaffar W, Qurban A, Ali L, Aggoun Y, Santoni FA, Makrythanasis P, Ahmed J, Qamar R, Sarwar MT, Henry LK, Antonarakis SE. Taurine treatment of retinal degeneration and cardiomyopathy in a consanguineous family with SLC6A6 taurine transporter deficiency. Hum Mol Genet. 2020 Mar 13;29(4):618-623. PMID:31903486 doi:10.1093/hmg/ddz303
- ↑ Ramamoorthy S, Leibach FH, Mahesh VB, Han H, Yang-Feng T, Blakely RD, Ganapathy V. Functional characterization and chromosomal localization of a cloned taurine transporter from human placenta. Biochem J. 1994 Jun 15;300 ( Pt 3)(Pt 3):893-900. PMID:8010975 doi:10.1042/bj3000893
- ↑ Jhiang SM, Fithian L, Smanik P, McGill J, Tong Q, Mazzaferri EL. Cloning of the human taurine transporter and characterization of taurine uptake in thyroid cells. FEBS Lett. 1993 Mar 1;318(2):139-44. PMID:8382624 doi:10.1016/0014-5793(93)80008-i
- ↑ Miyamoto Y, Liou GI, Sprinkle TJ. Isolation of a cDNA encoding a taurine transporter in the human retinal pigment epithelium. Curr Eye Res. 1996 Mar;15(3):345-9. PMID:8654117 doi:10.3109/02713689609007631
- ↑ Preising MN, Görg B, Friedburg C, Qvartskhava N, Budde BS, Bonus M, Toliat MR, Pfleger C, Altmüller J, Herebian D, Beyer M, Zöllner HJ, Wittsack HJ, Schaper J, Klee D, Zechner U, Nürnberg P, Schipper J, Schnitzler A, Gohlke H, Lorenz B, Häussinger D, Bolz HJ. Biallelic mutation of human SLC6A6 encoding the taurine transporter TAUT is linked to early retinal degeneration. FASEB J. 2019 Oct;33(10):11507-11527. PMID:31345061 doi:10.1096/fj.201900914RR
- ↑ Ansar M, Ranza E, Shetty M, Paracha SA, Azam M, Kern I, Iwaszkiewicz J, Farooq O, Pournaras CJ, Malcles A, Kecik M, Rivolta C, Muzaffar W, Qurban A, Ali L, Aggoun Y, Santoni FA, Makrythanasis P, Ahmed J, Qamar R, Sarwar MT, Henry LK, Antonarakis SE. Taurine treatment of retinal degeneration and cardiomyopathy in a consanguineous family with SLC6A6 taurine transporter deficiency. Hum Mol Genet. 2020 Mar 13;29(4):618-623. PMID:31903486 doi:10.1093/hmg/ddz303
- ↑ Jhiang SM, Fithian L, Smanik P, McGill J, Tong Q, Mazzaferri EL. Cloning of the human taurine transporter and characterization of taurine uptake in thyroid cells. FEBS Lett. 1993 Mar 1;318(2):139-44. PMID:8382624 doi:10.1016/0014-5793(93)80008-i
- ↑ Lu Y, Ding D, Chen H, Jiang P, Luo J, Shan H, Wang G, Luo J, Yin Y. Structural determination of the human taurine transporter TauT reveals the mechanism of substrate and inhibitor recognition. Cell Rep. 2025 Nov 19;44(12):116591. PMID:41269860 doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116591
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