LRRC8C
Description
The LRRC8C (leucine rich repeat containing 8 VRAC subunit C) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 1.
LRRC8C is a protein that in humans is encoded by the LRRC8C gene. LRRC8C is part of a family of proteins, including LRRC8A, LRRC8B, LRRC8D, and LRRC8E, that sometimes act as subunits of the Volume-Regulated Anion Channel (VRAC). VRACs are essential for regulating cell size by transporting chloride ions and organic osmolytes like taurine or glutamate across the plasma membrane. While LRRC8C can be part of VRAC, it is not as crucial to the channel's activity compared to LRRC8A and LRRC8D. Although LRRC8A and LRRC8D are essential for VRAC function, other research suggests they are insufficient for the full range of typical VRAC activity. This is where other LRRC8 proteins like LRRC8C come in, as the combination of these subunits influences the specificity of VRACs. Besides its role in VRACs, the LRRC8 protein family is also linked to agammaglobulinemia-5.
LRRC8C is a non-essential component of the volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC), also known as VSOAC channel. This channel is crucial for maintaining a constant cell volume in response to changes in osmotic pressure. VRAC conducts iodide more efficiently than chloride and can also transport organic osmolytes like taurine. LRRC8C contributes to the efflux of amino acids like aspartate and glutamate in response to osmotic stress. VRAC also mediates the transport of GMP-AMP (2'-3'-cGAMP), a cyclic dinucleotide that acts as an immune messenger in response to DNA viruses. VRAC activity requires LRRC8A and at least one other family member (LRRC8B, LRRC8C, LRRC8D or LRRC8E), with the specific subunit composition influencing channel characteristics. {ECO:0000269|PubMed:24790029, ECO:0000269|PubMed:26824658, ECO:0000269|PubMed:28193731, ECO:0000269|PubMed:33171122}
LRRC8C is also known as AD158, FAD158.
