Scientific background: |
GLUT1, also known as SLC2A1, is a major glucose transporter in the mammalian blood-brain barrier whose gene is mapped to 1p35-p31.3 and contains 10 exons. It is present at high levels in primate erythrocytes and brain endothelial cells. Not only can transport dehydroascorbic acid (the oxidized form of vitamin C) into the brain1, GLUT1 is also likely to contribute to HTLV-associated disorders through interacting with HTLV envelope glycoproteins2. Functionally, GLUT1 deficiency causes a decrease in embryonic glucose uptake and apoptosis, which may be involved in diabetic embryopathy3, by contrast, an increased expression of GLUT1 in some malignant tumors may suggest a role for glucose-derivative tracers to detect in vivo thyroid cancer metastases by positron-emission tomography scanning4. |
References: |
1. Agus, D. B.; Gambhir, S. S.; Pardridge, W. M.; Spielholz, C.; Baselga, J.; Vera, J. C.; Golde, D. W. : Vitamin C crosses the blood-brain barrier in the oxidized form through the glucose transporters. J. Clin. Invest. 100: 2842-2848, 1997.
2. Manel, N.; Kim, F. J.; Kinet, S.; Taylor, N.; Sitbon, M.; Battini, J.-L. : The ubiquitous glucose transporter GLUT-1 is a receptor for HTLV. Cell 115: 449-459, 2003.
3. Heilig, C. W.; Saunders, T.; Brosius, F. C., III; Moley, K.; Heilig, K.; Baggs, R.; Guo, L.; Conner, D. : Glucose transporter-1-deficient mice exhibit impaired development and deformities that are similar to diabetic embryopathy. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 100: 15613-15618, 2003.
4. Lazar, V.; Bidart, J.-M.; Caillou, B.; Mahe, C.; Lacroix, L.; Filetti, S.; Schlumberger, M. : Expression of the Na(+)/I(-) symporter gene in human thyroid tumors: a comparison study with other thyroid-specific genes. J. Clin. Endocr. Metab. 84: 3228-3234, 1999. |