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AAT Bioquest

How many zinc transporter families are there?

Posted April 8, 2022


Answer

There are two major zinc transporter families in eukaryotes – the ZnT (SLC30) family and the SLC39 (ZIP) family. The two zinc transporter families function in opposite directions to maintain cellular zinc homeostasis. When cytoplasmic zinc concentrations are elevated, SLC30 family lowers zinc levels by exporting zinc out to the extracellular space or locking the excess cytoplasmic zinc into intracellular compartments. When cytoplasmic zinc concentrations are depleted, the SLC39 family increases zinc levels by drawing zinc into the cytoplasm.

Additional resources

The SLC30 family of zinc transporters - a review of current understanding of their biological and pathophysiological roles

Amplite™ Colorimetric Zinc Ion Quantitation Kit