Abstract
l-Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is an effective antioxidant and an essential cofactor in numerous enzymatic reactions. Two Na+-dependent vitamin C transporters (SVCT1 and SVCT2) are members of the SLC23 human gene family, which also contains two orphan members. SVCT1 and SVCT2 display similar properties, including high affinity for l-ascorbic acid, but are discretely distributed. SVCT1 is confined to epithelial systems including intestine, kidney, and liver, whereas SVCT2 serves a host of metabolically active and specialized cells and tissues including neurons, the eye, lung, and placenta, and a range of neuroendocrine, exocrine, and endothelial tissues. An SVCT2-knockout mouse reveals an obligatory requirement for SVCT2, but many of the specific roles of this transporter remain unclear.
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Notes
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The HUGO gene names for SVCT1 and SVCT2 were revised in 2003. SVCT1 is now assigned to SLC23A1 and SVCT2 is now assigned to SLC23A2. See http://www.gene.ucl.ac.uk/nomenclature/
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Takanaga, H., Mackenzie, B. & Hediger, M.A. Sodium-dependent ascorbic acid transporter family SLC23. Pflugers Arch - Eur J Physiol 447, 677–682 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-003-1104-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-003-1104-1