Major facilitator superfamily domain-containing 14A (MFSD14A)

Major facilitator superfamily domain-containing 14A (MFSD14A, also known as HIAT1 or SLC71A1) is a transmembrane protein classified as an atypical solute carrier belonging to the MFS superfamily[1][4]. MFSD14A is highly conserved across species and is widely expressed in the brain and peripheral tissues, with notable abundance in the hippocampus and Sertoli cells of the testes[4][7]. Functional studies in both vertebrates and invertebrates (e.g., crab and mouse) indicate MFSD14A is a sodium-dependent ammonia transporter involved in cellular ammonia detoxification and homeostasis[2][3]. Disruption of the MFSD14A gene in mice causes male infertility with globozoospermia due to failed spermiogenesis, indicating a critical role in acrosome formation, sperm head condensation, and mitochondrial positioning[7]. MFSD14A expression is regulated by nutritional status and may be involved in energy metabolism, though its exact substrate specificity in humans is not yet well-defined[4]. No drugs currently target MFSD14A, and its function as a transporter with physiological relevance positions it as a potential but yet unexploited therapeutic target, especially in reproductive and metabolic biology.

Other names

Hippocampus abundant transcript 1 proteinHIAT1DKFZP564L0864Putative tetracycline transporter-like proteinHAIT1MFSD14Ahippocampus abundant gene transcript 1major facilitator superfamily domain containing 14Atetracycline transporter-like proteinSLC71A1

No characterized mechanism of drug action targeting MFSD14A; protein likely mediates solute/ammonia transport based on homology and recent functional data