Abstract
BackgroundMCT14 (SLC16A14) is an orphan member of the monocarboxylate transporter (MCT) family, also known as the SLC16 family of secondary active transmembrane transporters. Available expression data for this transporter is limited, and in this paper we aim to characterize MCT14 with respect to tissue distribution and cellular localization in mouse brain.ResultsUsing qPCR, we found that Slc16a14 mRNA was highly abundant in mouse kidney and moderately in central nervous system, testis, uterus and liver. Using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, we determined that MCT14 was highly expressed in excitatory and inhibitory neurons as well as epithelial cells in the mouse brain. The expression was exclusively localized to the soma of neurons. Furthermore, we showed with our phylogenetic analysis that MCT14 most closely relate to the aromatic amino acid- and thyroid-hormone transporters MCT8 (SLC16A2) and MCT10 (SLC16A10), in addition to the carnitine transporter MCT9 (SLC16A9).ConclusionsWe provide here the first histological mapping of MCT14 in the brain and our data are consistent with the hypothesis that MCT14 is a neuronal aromatic-amino-acid transporter.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12868-016-0274-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
MCT14 (SLC16A14) is an orphan member of the monocarboxylate transporter (MCT) family, known as the SLC16 family of secondary active transmembrane transporters
MCT8 transports thyroid hormones, MCT10 transports thyroid hormones and aromatic amino acids, and both display a proton-independent mode of transport [15,16,17], further supported by their lack of the proposed proton-binding domain [13, 14] present in MCT1–4
Extensive Slc16a14 mRNA expression in mouse brain in situ hybridization (ISH) with a digoxigenin-labeled riboprobe against Slc16a14 mRNA was used to map the expression in mouse brain through hybridization with free-floating 70 μm coronal sections (Fig. 2)
Summary
MCT14 (SLC16A14) is an orphan member of the monocarboxylate transporter (MCT) family, known as the SLC16 family of secondary active transmembrane transporters. The solute carrier (SLC) superfamily is currently comprised of 456 members divided into 52 families [1], making it the largest group of transporters. The common features of transporters in this superfamily are their secondary active mode of transport across membranes and their wide substrate profile, making them key in many biological processes, diseases and therapies [2]. Members are divided into SLC families on the basis of at least 20 % sequence similarity [3, 4]. The members of the MCT family share structural similarities but differ in substrate specificity. As for MCT14, its substrate profile is still unknown and the expression data are limited. MCT14 has been found in bovine mammary gland, in the gastrointestinal tracts of cattle and the mammary glands of lactating cows [21,22,23], but there is no detailed immunohistochemical analysis of MCT14 expression in mouse brain
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