MCT2 Background Information
Monocarboxylates, such as lactate and pyruvate, play an integral role in cellular metabolism. Lactic acid is produced in large quantities as a result of glycolysis, which provides the majority of ATP to cells under normal physiological conditions (2). However, accumulation of lactic acid leads to a decrease in intracellular pH and cessation of glycolysis (2). In order for glycolysis to continue at a high rate, lactic acid must be transported out of the cell (1,2). This transport process is carried out by a family of monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs), which function as proton symports and are stereoselective for L-lactate (1–3).The MCT family consists of at least eight members, MCT 1-8, which contain between 10-12 transmembrane-helical (TM) domains, with the amino and carboxy termini located in the cytoplasm (4). MCT1 is widely expressed and is the major form of MCT in tumor cells and erythrocytes (5,6). MCT2 is highly expressed in liver and testis, while MCT3 and MCT4 are predominantly expressed in skeletal muscle (7,8).
