| UT | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identifiers | |||||||||
| Symbol | UT | ||||||||
| Pfam | PF03253 | ||||||||
| InterPro | IPR004937 | ||||||||
| TCDB | 1.A.28 | ||||||||
| OPM superfamily | 13 | ||||||||
| OPM protein | 3k3f | ||||||||
| |||||||||
A urea transporter is a membrane transport protein, transporting urea. Humans and other mammals have two types of urea transport proteins, UT-A and UT-B. The UT-A proteins are important for renal urea handling and are produced by alternative splicing of the SLC14A2 gene.[1] Urea transport in the kidney is regulated by vasopressin.[2]
The structure of a urea transport family protein from Desulfovibrio vulgaris was determined by x-ray crystallography.[3] The structure has a pathway through the membrane that is similar to that of ion channel proteins, accounting for the ability of urea transport proteins to move up to one million urea molecules per second across the membrane.
Urea transporters can be inhibited by the action of urea analogues like thiourea and glycosides like phloretin.[4] Their inhibition results in increased diuresis due to urea induced osmosis in the collecting ducts of the kidney.[5]
- ^ Maciver B, Smith CP, Hill WG, Zeidel ML (April 2008). "Functional characterization of mouse urea transporters UT-A2 and UT-A3 expressed in purified Xenopus laevis oocyte plasma membranes". Am. J. Physiol. Renal Physiol. 294 (4): F956–64. doi:10.1152/ajprenal.00229.2007. PMID 18256317.
- ^ Sands JM, Blount MA, Klein JD (2011). "Regulation of renal urea transport by vasopressin". Trans. Am. Clin. Climatol. Assoc. 122: 82–92. PMC 3116377. PMID 21686211.
- ^ Levin EJ, Quick M, Zhou M (December 2009). "Crystal structure of a bacterial homologue of the kidney urea transporter". Nature. 462 (7274): 757–61. Bibcode:2009Natur.462..757L. doi:10.1038/nature08558. PMC 2871279. PMID 19865084.
- ^ Chou CL, Knepper MA (September 1989). "Inhibition of urea transport in inner medullary collecting duct by phloretin and urea analogues". Am. J. Physiol. 257 (3 Pt 2): F359–65. doi:10.1152/ajprenal.1989.257.3.F359. PMID 2506765.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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