Zinc transporter [Neurosurgery Wiki]

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====== Zinc transporter ======

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[[Zinc]] [[transporter]]s are [[membrane protein]]s that regulate the movement of Zn²⁺ ions across cellular [[membrane]]s. They are essential for zinc [[homeostasis]] and are involved in numerous physiological processes.

===== Families =====

There are two main families of zinc transporters:

1. ZIP (Zrt-, Irt-like Protein) Family – SLC39A family
Function: Increase intracellular zinc by importing it into the cytosol from either outside the cell or from intracellular stores.

Examples: ZIP1, [[ZIP4]], ZIP8, etc.

Clinical relevance:

ZIP4 mutations cause acrodermatitis enteropathica, a rare genetic disorder characterized by zinc deficiency.

2. ZnT (Zinc Transporter) Family – SLC30A family
Function: Decrease cytosolic zinc by exporting it out of the cytosol to the extracellular space or into organelles (e.g., Golgi, endosomes).

Examples: ZnT1, ZnT3, ZnT5, ZnT8, etc.

Clinical relevance:

ZnT8 is associated with type 1 and type 2 diabetes – autoantibodies against ZnT8 are biomarkers in type 1 diabetes.

Why They Matter
Zinc imbalance is linked to neurodegeneration, cancer, immune dysfunction, and metabolic diseases.

Zinc transporters are being studied as potential therapeutic targets and biomarkers.