Amino acid transporter A1, Amino acid transporter system A1, ATA 1, ATA1, N-system amino acid transporter 2, NAT 2, NAT2, S38A1_HUMAN, SAT 1, SAT1, SLC38A1, SNAT 1, SNAT1, Sodium-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 1, Solute carrier family 38 member 1, System A amino acid transporter 1, System N amino acid transporter 1.
Amino acid transporters play essential roles in the uptake of nutrients, production of energy, chemical metabolism, detoxification, and neurotransmitter cycling. SLC38A1 is an important transporter of glutamine, an intermediate in the detoxification of ammonia and the production of urea. Glutamine serves as a precursor for the synaptic transmitter, glutamate (Gu et al., 2001 [PubMed 11325958]).[supplied by OMIM, Mar 2008]