SLC7A6 Gene - Cationic Amino Acid Transporter | NCBI, UniProt, OMIM

SLC7A6 encodes a member of the solute carrier family 7, specifically the y+L-type amino acid transporter 2 (y+LAT2). This protein forms a heterodimeric complex with the heavy chain SLC3A2 (CD98) to mediate sodium-independent transport of cationic amino acids and sodium-dependent transport of neutral amino acids. It plays a critical role in cellular amino acid homeostasis, particularly in the kidney and intestine, and is involved in nitric oxide synthesis by supplying arginine to endothelial and immune cells.

Tissue Expression

Cell Line Expression

Hotspot Mutations

Mutation functional classification

• Amino acid transport across the plasma membrane (Reactome: R-HSA-352230)

• Arginine and proline metabolism (KEGG: hsa00330)

• SLC-mediated transmembrane transport (Reactome: R-HSA-425407)

The SLC7A6 protein (y+LAT2) is a 511-amino acid transmembrane transporter with 12 predicted membrane-spanning domains. It functions as a light chain that associates with the heavy chain SLC3A2 (CD98) via a disulfide bond. The heterodimer mediates the exchange of extracellular cationic amino acids (e.g., L-arginine, L-lysine) for intracellular neutral amino acids (e.g., L-leucine) plus sodium. This antiport mechanism is essential for cellular arginine uptake, which fuels nitric oxide synthesis and polyamine production. The protein is highly expressed in kidney and intestinal epithelia, consistent with its role in amino acid reabsorption.