Identification of Monocarboxylate Transporter 8 as a Specific Thyroid Hormone Transporter

Transport of thyroid hormone across the cell membrane is required for its action and metabolism. Recently, a T-type amino acid transporter was cloned which transports aromatic amino acids but not iodothyronines. This transporter belongs to the monocarboxylate transporter (MCT) family and is most homologous with MCT8 (SLC16A2). Therefore, we cloned rat MCT8 and tested it for thyroid hormone transport in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Oocytes were injected with rat MCT8 cRNA, and after 3 days immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated expression of the protein at the plasma membrane. MCT8 cRNA induced an approximately 10-fold increase in uptake of 10 nM 125I-labeled thyroxine (T4), 3,3',5-triiodothyronine (T3),…

• WT
  Wellcome Trust
• UO
  University of Bristol
• MR
  Medical Research Council