Glucose transporter type 3 (GLUT3)

Glucose transporter type 3 (GLUT3) is a high-affinity facilitative glucose transporter encoded by the SLC2A3 gene and is a member of the solute carrier family and the major facilitator superfamily (MFS)[5][6]. It is primarily expressed in neurons, where it maintains adequate glucose supply to support high metabolic activity, and is also found in sperm, placenta, and certain cancer cells[1][5][4]. GLUT3 proteins have twelve transmembrane segments, forming an integral membrane glycoprotein structure that enables the rapid and efficient translocation of glucose and related hexoses across the plasma membrane following the glucose concentration gradient[1][2]. It plays an essential role in neurodevelopment and function, and defects or dysregulation of GLUT3 are associated with neurodegenerative diseases, impaired fetal development, and are observed in hypoxia-adapted and some malignant tissues[4][1]. While no approved drugs selectively target GLUT3 for therapy, inhibitors like cytochalasin B serve as experimental tools to study its structure and function[2][7].

Other names

Facilitated glucose transporter member 3Solute carrier family 2 member 3SLC2A3Brain-type glucose transporter

Inhibition of glucose uptake through competitive binding at the transporter (as with cytochalasin B)