Solute Carrier Family 43, Member 2 (SLC43A2)

LAT4 has 12 transmembrane domains with intracellular N and C termini, and a putative N-glycosylation site is located in the extracellular loop between the first 2 transmembrane domains. It shares 57% amino acid identity with LAT3 and 91% identity with mouse Lat4. Northern blot analysis of human tissues detected transcripts of 3.1 and 8 to 9 kb, with highest expression in placenta, followed by kidney and peripheral blood leukocytes. In mouse tissues, expression was highest in small intestine. Immunofluorescence analysis detected LAT4 on the plasma membrane of transfected HeLa cells. In situ hybridization of human kidney showed LAT4 mRNA restricted to epithelial cells of the distal tubule and collecting duct. In mouse intestine, Lat4 was mainly expressed in crypt cells of the intestinal microvilli and in epithelial cells at the base of the villus.