biology

Neurotransmitter sodium symporter

Neurotransmitter sodium symporter is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Neurotransmitter sodium symporter rather than just read about it. In short: A neurotransmitter sodium symporter (NSS) (TC# 2.A.22) is a type of neurotransmitter transporter that catalyzes the uptake of a variety of neurotransmitters, amino acids, osmolytes and related nitrogenous substances by a solute:Na+ symport mechanism. The NSS family is a member of the APC superfamily.

Key takeaways

Neurotransmitter sodium symporter belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Neurotransmitter sodium symporter to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Neurotransmitter sodium symporter from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A neurotransmitter sodium symporter (NSS) (TC# 2.A.22) is a type of neurotransmitter transporter that catalyzes the uptake of a variety of neurotransmitters, amino acids, osmolytes and related nitrogenous substances by a solute:Na+ symport mechanism. The NSS family is a member of the APC superfamily. Its constituents have been found in bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes.

Function Neurotransmitter transport systems are responsible for the release, re-uptake and recycling of neurotransmitters at synapses. High affinity transport proteins found in the plasma membrane of presynaptic nerve terminals and glial cells are responsible for the removal, from the extracellular space, of released-transmitters, thereby terminating their actions. The majority of the transporters constitute an extensive family of homologous proteins that derive energy from the co-transport of Na+ and Cl−, in order to transport neurotransmitter molecules into the cell against their concentration gradient. Neurotransmitter sodium symporters (NSS) are targets for anti-depressants, psychostimulants and other drugs.

Transport reaction The generalized transport reaction for the members of this family is:

solute (out) + Na+ (out) → solute (in) + Na+ (in).

Structure The family has a common structure of 12 presumed transmembrane helices and includes carriers for gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), noradrenaline/adrenaline, dopamine, serotonin, proline, glycine, choline, betaine, taurine and other small molecules. NSS carriers are structurally distinct from the second more-restricted family of plasma membrane transporters, which are responsible for excitatory amino acid transport (see TC# 2.A.23). The latter couple glutamate and aspartate uptake to the cotransport of Na+ and the counter-transport of K+, with no apparent dependence on Cl−. In addition, both of these transporter families are distinct from the vesicular neurotransmitter transporters. Sequence analysis of the Na+/Cl− neurotransmitter superfamily reveals that it can be divided into four subfamilies, these being transporters for monoamines, the amino acids proline and glycine, GABA, and a group of orphan transporters. Tavoulari et al. (2011) described conversion of the Cl− -independent prokaryotic tryptophan transporter TnaT (2.A.22.4.1) to a fully functional Cl− -dependent form by a single point mutation, D268S. Mutations in TnaT-D268S, in wild type TnaT and in a serotonin transporter (SERT; 2.A.22.1.1) provided direct evidence for the involvement of each of the proposed residues in Cl− coordination. In both SERT and TnaT-D268S, Cl− and Na+ mutually increase each other's potency, consistent with electrostatic interaction through adjacent binding sites.

Crystal structures There are several crystal structures available for a couple members of the NSS family:

2.A.22.1.7 - Dopamine transporter: 4M48, 4XP4, 4XP9, 4XPB, 4XPT 2.A.22.4.2 - The amino acid (leucine):2 Na+ symporter, LeuTAa: 2A65, 2Q6H, 2Q72, 2QB4, 2QJU, 3F3A, 3F3C, (more)

Subfamilies Several characterized proteins are classified within the NSS family and can be found in the Transporter Classification Database.

Betaine transporter (SLC6A12) InterPro: IPR002983 Creatine transporter (SLC6A8) InterPro: IPR002984 Dopamine neurotransmitter transporter (SLC6A3) InterPro: IPR002436 Inebriated neurotransmitter transporter InterPro: IPR002944 GABA neurotransmitter transporter GAT-1 (SLC6A1) InterPro: IPR002980 GABA neurotransmitter transporter GAT-2 (SLC6A13) InterPro: IPR002981 GABA neurotransmitter transporter GAT-3 (SLC6A11) InterPro: IPR002982 Glycine neurotransmitter transporter, type 1 (SLC6A9) InterPro: IPR003028 Noradrenaline neurotransmitter transporter (SLC6A2) InterPro: IPR002435 Orphan neurotransmitter transporter (SLC6A15) InterPro: IPR002438 Serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmitter transporter, N-terminal (SLC6A4) InterPro: IPR013086 Taurine transporter (SLC6A6) InterPro: IPR002434

Human proteins containing this domain SLC6A1, SLC6A2, SLC6A3, SLC6A4, SLC6A5, SLC6A6, SLC6A7, SLC6A8, SLC6A9, SLC6A11, SLC6A12, SLC6A13, SLC6A14, SLC6A15, SLC6A16, SLC6A17, SLC6A18, SLC6A19, SLC6A20

See also APC superfamily Membrane transport proteins

References

External links Transporter Classification Database (tcdb.org) for more detailed description of this family

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Neurotransmitter sodium symporter

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Neurotransmitter sodium symporter claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Neurotransmitter sodium symporter before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Neurotransmitter sodium symporter ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Neurotransmitter sodium symporter

In research: Neurotransmitter sodium symporter appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Neurotransmitter sodium symporter in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Neurotransmitter sodium symporter is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Integral membrane proteins, Membrane proteins, Protein domains, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Neurotransmitter sodium symporter outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Neurotransmitter sodium symporter in 20 minutes

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Frequently asked questions

What is Neurotransmitter sodium symporter in simple terms?

Why does Neurotransmitter sodium symporter matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Neurotransmitter sodium symporter?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Neurotransmitter sodium symporter.