Glucose transporter tissue-specific expression

Gould GW, Holman GD. The glucose transporter family structure, function and tissue specific expression. Biochem J 1993 295 329-341. 

A key aspect of the regulation of metabolism occurs at the surface membrane of a cell where the selective uptake of small molecules takes place via specific transporter proteins. This is exemplified by the many different isoforms of glucose transporters that are differentially expressed in various tissues and that have various responses to hormones, especially insulin. 

GLUT isoforms play a specific role in glucose metabolism determined by their pattern of tissue expression, substrate specificity, transport kinetics and regulated expression in different physiological conditions. 

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