SLCO1B3 : solute carrier organic anion transporter family member 1B3
Description
The SLCO1B3 (solute carrier organic anion transporter family member 1B3) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 12.
The SLCO1B3 gene provides instructions for making a protein called organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B3, or OATP1B3. This protein is found in liver cells; it transports compounds from the blood into the liver so that they can be cleared from the body. For example, the OATP1B3 protein transports bilirubin, which is a yellowish substance that is produced when red blood cells are broken down. In the liver, bilirubin is dissolved in a digestive fluid called bile and then excreted from the body. The OATP1B3 protein also transports certain hormones, toxins, and drugs into the liver for removal from the body. Some of the drugs transported by the OATP1B3 protein include statins, which are used to treat high cholesterol; heart disease medications; certain antibiotics; and some drugs used for the treatment of cancer.
The SLCO1B3 protein mediates the uptake of organic anions into cells, independent of sodium ions. It exhibits broad substrate specificity, transporting various compounds including bile acids, steroids, eicosanoids, thyroid hormones, and drugs. Hydrogencarbonate acts as a counterion for this transport. The protein's substrate specificity is influenced by pH, with a preference for sulfated steroids, taurocholate, and thyroid hormone in acidic environments. SLCO1B3 plays a role in the liver's clearance of bile acids and organic anions, transporting bilirubin glucuronides from plasma to the liver, contributing to detoxification. It also transports coproporphyrin I and III, heme synthesis byproducts, and might be involved in their hepatic disposition. SLCO1B3 is likely to contribute to regulating organic compound transport in testes across the blood-testis barrier. The protein transports HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, such as pitavastatin, a class of drugs used to lower cholesterol. SLCO1B3 is involved in the distribution of methotrexate and paclitaxel, chemotherapeutic drugs, in the body. It may also transport antihypertension agents, such as enalapril and valsartan, in the liver.
SLCO1B3 is also known as HBLRR, LST-2, LST-3TM13, LST3, OATP-8, OATP1B3, OATP8, SLC21A8.
