SLC17A8
Encyclopedia
Solute carrier family 17 member 8 (SLC17A8) also known as the vesicular glutamate transporter 3 (VGluT3) is a protein
that in humans is encoded by the SLC17A8 gene
.
. The encoded protein transports the neurotransmitter
glutamate into synaptic vesicle
s before it is released into the synaptic cleft
.
type 25 (DFNA25).
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
that in humans is encoded by the SLC17A8 gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
.
Function
This gene encodes a vesicular glutamate transporterGlutamate transporter
Excitatory amino-acid transporters , formerly known as Glutamate transporters, belong to the family of neurotransmitter transporters. They serve to terminate the excitatory neurotransmitter signal by removal of glutamate from the neuronal synapse into Glia cells.In details, the EAATs are...
. The encoded protein transports the neurotransmitter
Neurotransmitter
Neurotransmitters are endogenous chemicals that transmit signals from a neuron to a target cell across a synapse. Neurotransmitters are packaged into synaptic vesicles clustered beneath the membrane on the presynaptic side of a synapse, and are released into the synaptic cleft, where they bind to...
glutamate into synaptic vesicle
Synaptic vesicle
In a neuron, synaptic vesicles store various neurotransmitters that are released at the synapse. The release is regulated by a voltage-dependent calcium channel. Vesicles are essential for propagating nerve impulses between neurons and are constantly recreated by the cell...
s before it is released into the synaptic cleft
Chemical synapse
Chemical synapses are specialized junctions through which neurons signal to each other and to non-neuronal cells such as those in muscles or glands. Chemical synapses allow neurons to form circuits within the central nervous system. They are crucial to the biological computations that underlie...
.
Clinical significance
Mutations in this gene are the cause of autosomal-dominant nonsyndromic deafnessNonsyndromic deafness
Nonsyndromic deafness is hearing loss that is not associated with other signs and symptoms. In contrast, syndromic deafness involves hearing loss that occurs with abnormalities in other parts of the body....
type 25 (DFNA25).