Solute carrier family 30 member 1 (SLC30A1)

Solute carrier family 30 member 1 (SLC30A1), commonly known as Zinc transporter 1 (ZnT-1), is a transmembrane zinc exporter vital for maintaining cellular and systemic zinc homeostasis[1][2][3]. It localizes predominantly at the plasma membrane, facilitating the efflux of excess cytoplasmic zinc ions to the extracellular space, and is unique among the SLC30 (ZnT) family as the principal zinc exporter at the cell surface[1][2]. SLC30A1 plays essential roles in protecting cells from zinc toxicity, regulating zinc content in tissues (notably the intestine and macrophages), and supporting immune function by enabling macrophage-mediated microbial clearance via zinc mobilization and nitric oxide (NO) generation[2][3][4]. Deficiency or functional impairment of SLC30A1 disrupts zinc balance, impairs cell survival (especially in proliferative compartments such as the intestinal crypt), and increases susceptibility to infections; it is thus critical for both nutritional zinc balance and immune defense. No approved drugs currently target SLC30A1 directly, but its modulation may be a future strategy to manipulate zinc levels therapeutically[1][2][3][4].

Other names

Zinc transporter 1ZnT-1ZNT1ZRC1Zinc resistance conferring homologProton-coupled zinc antiporter SLC30A1Solute carrier family 30 (zinc transporter) member 1ZnT1

Efflux of zinc ions from the cytoplasm to the extracellular space or specific compartments (e.g., across the basolateral membrane of enterocytes, into the phagolysosome in macrophages)