VAT1
Description
The VAT1 (vesicle amine transport 1) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 17.
VAT1, short for Synaptic vesicle membrane protein VAT-1 homolog, is a protein encoded by the VAT1 gene in humans. It is a crucial component of synaptic vesicles, which are responsible for the storage and release of neurotransmitters within nerve terminals. VAT1 is an integral membrane protein abundantly found in cholinergic synaptic vesicles and is believed to be involved in vesicular transport. This protein belongs to the quinone oxidoreductase subfamily of zinc-containing alcohol dehydrogenase proteins.
VAT1 possesses ATPase activity, likely due to its similarity to other proteins. It plays a role in calcium-regulated activation of keratinocytes, which are crucial for epidermal repair. While VAT1 does not affect cell proliferation, it acts to inhibit mitochondrial fusion in collaboration with mitofusin proteins (MFN1 and MFN2). These findings are supported by experimental evidence documented in PubMed IDs 12898150, 17105775, and 19508442.
VAT1 is also known as VATI.
