large neutral amino acids transporter small subunit 1; L-type amino acid transporter 1; solute carrier family 7 member 5; y+ system cationic amino acid transporter; 4F2 light chain; 4F2 LC; 4F2LC; CD98 light chain; integral membrane protein E16; hLAT1 (SLC7A5, CD98LC, LAT1, MPE16)

^[1]

Function

Na+-independent, high-affinity transport of large neutral amino acids such as phenylalanine, tyrosine, leucine, arginine & tryptophan, when associated with SLC3A2
involved in cellular amino acid uptake
acts as an amino acid exchanger
involved in the transport of L-DOPA across the blood-brain barrier, & that of thyroid hormones triiodothyronine (T3) & thyroxine (T4) across the cell membrane in tissues such as placenta
plays a role in neuronal cell proliferation (neurogenesis) in brain
involved in uptake of methylmercury (MeHg) as L-cysteine D,L-homocysteine complex, thus plays a role in metal ion homeostasis & toxicity
role in cellular activity of small molecular weight nitrosothiols, via the stereoselective transport of L-nitrosocysteine (L-CNSO) across the transmembrane
mediates blood-to-retina L-leucine transport across the inner blood-retinal barrier which in turn may play a role in maintaining large neutral amino acids as well as neurotransmitters in the neural retina
acts as the major transporter of tyrosine in fibroblasts
disulfide-linked heterodimer with amino acid transport protein SLC3A2

* Kinetic parameters may be affected by cell type & presence of choline chloride

cytoplasm, cytosol
apical cell membrane multi-pass membrane protein
localized to plasma membrane by SLC3A2
localized to the apical membrane of placental syncytiophoblastic cells
expressed in both luminal & abluminal membranes of brain capillary endothelial cells (putative)

expressed abundantly in adult lung, liver, brain, skeletal muscle, placenta, bone marrow, testis, resting lymphocytes & monocytes, & in fetal liver
weaker expression in thymus, cornea, retina, peripheral leukocytes, spleen, kidney, colon & lymph node
during gestation, expression in the placenta is stronger at full-term than during earlier gestation
expressed in all human tumor cell lines tested & in the astrocytic process of primary astrocytic gliomas
expressed in retinal endothelial cells & in the intestinal epithelial cell line Caco-2
expression induced in quiescent peripheral blood lymphocytes after treatment with PMA (phorbol myristate acetate)/ PHA (phytohemagglutinin)