Na(+)- and Cl(-)-dependent taurine transporter; solute-binding domain
TauT is a Na(+)- and Cl(-)-dependent, high-affinity, low-capacity transporter of taurine and beta-alanine. Human TauT is encoded by the SLC6A6 gene. TauT is expressed in brain, retina, liver, kidney, heart, spleen, and pancreas. It may play a part in the supply of taurine to the intestinal epithelium and in the between-meal-capture of taurine. It may also participate in re-absorbing taurine that has been deconjugated from bile acids in the distal lumen. Functional TauT protects kidney cells from nephrotoxicity caused by the chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin; cisplatin down-regulates TauT in a p53-dependent manner. In mice, TauT has been shown to be important for the maintenance of skeletal muscle function and total exercise capacity. TauT-/- mice develop additional clinically important diseases, some of which are characterized by apoptosis, including vision loss, olfactory dysfunction, and chronic liver disease. This subgroup belongs to the solute carrier 6 (SLC6) transporter family.
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