Solute Carrier Family 3, Member 2 (SLC3A2)

SLC3A2 is a member of the solute carrier family and encodes a cell surface, transmembrane protein with an alpha-amylase domain. The protein exists as the heavy chain of a heterodimer, covalently bound through di-sulfide bonds to one of several possible light chains. It associates with integrins and mediates integrin-dependent signaling related to normal cell growth and tumorigenesis. Alternate transcriptional splice variants, encoding different isoforms, have been characterized.Expressed ubiquitously in all tissues tested with highest levels detected in kidney, placenta and testis and weakest level in thymus. During gestation, expression in the placenta was significantly stronger at full-term than at the mid- trimester stage.