biology

SLC13A5

SLC13A5 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 SLC13A5 rather than just read about it. In short: Solute carrier family 13 (sodium-dependent citrate transporter), member 5 also known as the Na+/citrate cotransporter or mIndy is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SLC13A5 gene. It is the mammalian homolog of the fly Indy gene.

Key takeaways

SLC13A5 belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect SLC13A5 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of SLC13A5 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Solute carrier family 13 (sodium-dependent citrate transporter), member 5 also known as the Na+/citrate cotransporter or mIndy is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SLC13A5 gene. It is the mammalian homolog of the fly Indy gene.

Function SLC13A5 is a tricarboxylate plasma transporter with a preference for citrate.

Clinical significance In 2014, by means of exome sequencing it was determined that a genetic mutation of the gene is the cause of a rare SLC13A5 Epilepsy. Mutations in SLC13A5 cause autosomal recessive epileptic encephalopathy with seizure onset in the first days of life. Those afflicted suffer from seizures, global developmental delay, movement disorder and hypotonia. Reduced expression of homologous genes is associated with longer lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans, and obesity protection in laboratory mice. Increased expression is associated with type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. A sugary diet upregulates the expression of the gene, and so does Interleukin 6 signaling.

Small molecule inhibitors There are four small-molecule inhibitors to SLC13A5 that have been reported from Pfizer and a derivative from China Pharmaceutical University, Boehringer Ingelheim and the group of Elisabeth P. Carpenter from the Centre for Medicines Discovery, and Eternygen. The Pfizer molecule is an orthosteric inhibitor that locks the protein in an inward-facing state of the reaction cycle, while the mechanism of action for other inhibitors remains unknown.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with SLC13A5

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what SLC13A5 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 SLC13A5 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 SLC13A5 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 SLC13A5

In research: SLC13A5 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 SLC13A5 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: SLC13A5 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Genes on human chromosome 17, Human chromosome 17 gene stubs, Solute carrier family, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for SLC13A5 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 SLC13A5 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what SLC13A5 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain SLC13A5 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is SLC13A5 in simple terms?

Why does SLC13A5 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 SLC13A5?

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 SLC13A5.