SLC4A2
Encyclopedia
Anion exchange protein 2 (AE2) is a membrane transport protein that in humans is encoded by the SLC4A2 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...

. AE2 is functionally similar to the Band 3
Band 3
Anion Exchanger 1 or Band 3 is a phylogenetically preserved transport protein responsible for mediating the exchange of chloride for bicarbonate across a plasma membrane. Functionally similar members of the AE clade are AE2 and AE3.It is ubiquitous throughout the vertebrates...

 Cl-
Chloride
The chloride ion is formed when the element chlorine, a halogen, picks up one electron to form an anion Cl−. The salts of hydrochloric acid HCl contain chloride ions and can also be called chlorides. The chloride ion, and its salts such as sodium chloride, are very soluble in water...

/HCO3-
Bicarbonate
In inorganic chemistry, bicarbonate is an intermediate form in the deprotonation of carbonic acid...

 exchange protein.

Mice have been used to explore the function of AE2. AE2 contributes to basolateral membrane HCO3- transport in the gastrointestinal tract
Gastrointestinal tract
The human gastrointestinal tract refers to the stomach and intestine, and sometimes to all the structures from the mouth to the anus. ....

. AE3 is required for spermiogenesis
Spermiogenesis
Spermiogenesis is the final stage of spermatogenesis, which sees the maturation of spermatids into mature, motile spermatozoa. The spermatid is more or less circular cell containing a nucleus Golgi apparatus, centriole and mitochondria...

 in mice. AE2 is required for normal osteoclast
Osteoclast
An osteoclast is a type of bone cell that removes bone tissue by removing its mineralized matrix and breaking up the organic bone . This process is known as bone resorption. Osteoclasts were discovered by Kolliker in 1873...

 function. The activity of AE2 is sensitive to pH
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...

.

AE3 has been suggested as a target for prevention of diabetic vasculopathy
Diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus, often simply referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced...

.

Further reading

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK