Solute Carrier Family 17, Member 8 (SLC17A8)

SLC17A8 encodes a vesicular glutamate transporter. The encoded protein transports the neurotransmitter glutamate into synaptic vesicles before it is released into the synaptic cleft. Mutations in this gene are the cause of autosomal-dominant nonsyndromic type 25 deafness. Alternate splicing results in multiple transcript variants.The deduced 589-amino acid protein has a calculated molecular mass of about 65 kD.

VGLUT3 contains 8 membrane-spanning segments and a long C terminus, similar to SLC17A7 and SLC17A6, with which it shares 72.5% and 72% amino acid identity, respectively. Weaker expression was detected in hippocampus, thalamus, and cerebellum, and no expression was detected in several other brain regions.