Solute Carrier Family 39, Member 5 (SLC39A5)

Zinc is an essential cofactor for hundreds of enzymes. It is involved in protein, nucleic acid, carbohydrate, and lipid metabolism, as well as in the control of gene transcription, growth, development, and differentiation. SLC39A5 belongs to a subfamily of proteins that show structural characteristics of zinc transporters.

By searching databases for sequences similar to a unique motif within LIV1 (SLC39A6), Taylor and Nicholson (2003) identified SLC39A5, which they designated LZT-Hs7. The deduced 540-amino acid protein contains a long N terminus, followed by 8 putative transmembrane domains and a short C terminus. It has a high histidine content, including a motif similar to the catalytic zinc-binding site of matrix metalloproteases.