biology

Thiamine transporter 2

Thiamine transporter 2 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 Thiamine transporter 2 rather than just read about it. In short: Thiamine transporter 2 (ThTr-2), also known as solute carrier family 19 member 3, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SLC19A3 gene. SLC19A3 is a thiamine transporter.

Key takeaways

Thiamine transporter 2 belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Thiamine transporter 2 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Thiamine transporter 2 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Thiamine transporter 2 (ThTr-2), also known as solute carrier family 19 member 3, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SLC19A3 gene. SLC19A3 is a thiamine transporter.

Function ThTr-2 is a ubiquitously expressed transmembrane thiamine transporter that lacks folate transport activity. It is specifically inhibited by chloroquine.

Clinical significance Mutations in this gene cause biotin-thiamine-responsive basal ganglia disease (BTBGD); a recessive disorder manifesting in childhood, which – if untreated – progresses to chronic encephalopathy, dystonia, quadriparesis, and eventually death. Patients with BTBGD exhibit bilateral necrosis in the head of the caudate nucleus and in the putamen. The progression of symptoms is paused by the lifelong administration of both high doses of biotin and thiamine. The residual symptoms vary widely between individuals, often encompassing paraparesis, mild mental retardation, or dystonia. Administration of thiamine by itself is ineffective in the treatment of this disorder. Experiments have failed to show that this protein can transport biotin, but the expression of the transporter is starkly reduced with even just latent biotin deficiency. Mutations in this gene also cause a Wernicke's-like encephalopathy.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Thiamine transporter 2

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Thiamine transporter 2 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 Thiamine transporter 2 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 Thiamine transporter 2 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 Thiamine transporter 2

In research: Thiamine transporter 2 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 Thiamine transporter 2 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: Thiamine transporter 2 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Genes on human chromosome 2, Membrane protein stubs, Solute carrier family, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Thiamine transporter 2 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 Thiamine transporter 2 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Thiamine transporter 2 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 Thiamine transporter 2 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Thiamine transporter 2 in simple terms?

Thiamine transporter 2 (ThTr-2), also known as solute carrier family 19 member 3, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SLC19A3 gene. SLC19A3 is a thiamine transporter.

Why does Thiamine transporter 2 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 Thiamine transporter 2?

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 Thiamine transporter 2.