By searching a human database for sequences similar to the SLC22 family of anion transporters , Jacobsson et al. (2007) identified SPNS3. The deduced 512-amino acid protein has 12 putative transmembrane domains. Quantitative real-time PCR detected high expression of rat Spns3 in coronal brain sections of the olfactory bulb and frontal cortex. Expression was moderate in other coronal sections and in thymus, kidney, and spleen. Little to no expression was detected in other tissues examined.
Jacobsson et al. (2007) determined that the SPNS3 gene contains 12 exons.Jacobsson et al. (2007) stated that the SPNS3 gene maps to chromosome 17p13.2; the mouse Spns3 gene maps to chromosome 11qB4.