Zinc transporter proteins (Zrt), or simply zinc transporters, are

membrane transport protein A membrane transport protein (or simply transporter) is a membrane protein involved in the movement of ions, small molecules, and macromolecules, such as another protein, across a biological membrane. Transport proteins are integral transmembran ...

s of the solute carrier family which control the

membrane transport In cellular biology, membrane transport refers to the collection of mechanisms that regulate the passage of solutes such as ions and small molecules through biological membranes, which are lipid bilayers that contain proteins embedded in them. Th ...

zinc Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...

and regulate its intracellular and

cytoplasm In cell biology, the cytoplasm is all of the material within a eukaryotic cell, enclosed by the cell membrane, except for the cell nucleus. The material inside the nucleus and contained within the nuclear membrane is termed the nucleoplasm. The ...

ic concentrations. They include two major groups: (1) the zinc transporter (ZnT) or solute carrier 30 (SLC30) family, which controls the

efflux Efflux may refer to: * Efflux (microbiology), a mechanism responsible for moving compounds out of cells * e-flux, a publishing platform and archive See also * Efflux time, part of a measure of paint viscosity * Flux (biology) In general, flux ...

of zinc from the cytoplasm out of the cell and from the cytoplasm into

vesicle Vesicle may refer to: ; In cellular biology or chemistry * Vesicle (biology and chemistry), a supramolecular assembly of lipid molecules, like a cell membrane * Synaptic vesicle ; In human embryology * Vesicle (embryology), bulge-like features o ...

s; and (2) the zinc importer, Zrt- and Irt-like protein (ZIP), or solute carrier 39A (SLC39A) family, which controls the

influx Influx may refer to: * Flux (biology) of ions, molecules or other substances from the extracellular space to the intracellular space * ''Influx'', a 2014 science-fiction novel by Daniel Suarez * ''Influx'' (album), an album by Janus * "Influx", ...

of zinc into the cytoplasm from outside the cell and from vesicles. At least one zinc transporter,

ZIP9 Zinc transporter ZIP9, also known as Zrt- and Irt-like protein 9 (ZIP9) and solute carrier family 39 member 9, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''SLC39A9'' gene. This protein is the 9th member out of 14 ZIP family proteins, which is ...

, is also a

G protein-coupled receptor G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), also known as seven-(pass)-transmembrane domain receptors, 7TM receptors, heptahelical receptors, serpentine receptors, and G protein-linked receptors (GPLR), form a large group of evolutionarily-related p ...

and

membrane androgen receptor Membrane androgen receptors (mARs) are a group of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) which bind and are activated by testosterone and/or other androgens. Unlike the androgen receptor (AR), a nuclear receptor which mediates its effects via genomi ...

Families

ZnT (SLC30)

Members: ZnT1, ZnT2, ZnT3, ZnT4, ZnT5, ZnT6, ZnT7,

ZnT8 Zinc transporter 8 (ZNT8) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''SLC30A8'' gene. ZNT8 is a zinc transporter related to insulin secretion in humans. Certain alleles of the SLC30A8 gene may increase the risk for developing type 2 diabetes ...

, ZnT9, ZnT10 Bacterial members of the family are known to increase tolerance to high salt concentrations.

ZntB Zinc Transporter Protein

Unlike some other zinc transporter proteins, the mechanism of how Zn²⁺ is transported via ZntB is not well understood. However, scientists have been able to speculate that the transport of Zn²⁺ is related to pH gradient and the electrostatics of the protein membrane.

ZIP (SLC39)

ZIP1 Zinc transporter ZIP1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''SLC39A1'' gene. The protein ZIP1 is responsible for the active transport of zinc into prostate cells. In many prostate cancer Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Pros ...

, ZIP2, ZIP3, ZIP4, ZIP5, ZIP6, ZIP7 ( ''Catsup''), ZIP8,

, ZIP10, ZIP11, ZIP12, ZIP13, ZIP14 The structure of a bacterial ZIP protein has been resolved.

References

Solute carrier family {{membrane-protein-stub