SLC2A14

SLC2A14, or solute carrier family 2 member 14, is a member of the facilitative glucose transporter (GLUT) family within the SLC2 gene family. Like other GLUT proteins, it is predicted to be a multi-pass transmembrane transporter that facilitates the movement of hexose sugars across the plasma membrane by facilitated diffusion.

In humans, SLC2A14 expression appears to be tissue-restricted. Transcriptomic data report detectable mRNA in select tissues such as testis and brain, with lower levels in other tissues; protein-level data are limited and the exact distribution remains to be clarified. Subcellular localization studies in some systems place SLC2A14 at the plasma membrane, supporting a transporter role, but definitive localization in native tissues has not been established.

Functional characterization of SLC2A14 has been limited. Some investigations suggest it can mediate glucose transport, while others have found low or context-dependent activity, indicating its substrate specificity or activity may differ from classical GLUT family members or require specific cellular contexts, co-factors, or post-translational modifications. More research is needed to define its kinetic properties, regulatory mechanisms, and physiological substrates.

Clinical significance is currently unclear. There are no well-established disease associations linked to SLC2A14, and it is considered one of the less-characterized members of the GLUT transporter family. Ongoing research aims to determine its possible roles in metabolism, reproductive biology, and other physiological or pathological processes.

Evolutionarily, SLC2A14 is part of the vertebrate GLUT transporter family with orthologs in other species, indicating conservation across evolution, though the degree of sequence similarity and functional conservation varies.