Progress in Structural Biology of Solute Carriers

The solute carrier (SLC) family is the second largest family of membrane proteins in the human genome which transports a broad spectrum of substrates such as neurotransmitters, amino acids, lipids, ions, and drugs across cellular membranes. Mutagenesis or malfunction of many SLCs can cause a wide range of disorders. In the past few years, the importance of the family member was raised in several contexts. The structural and functional studies of SLCs are gradually increasing recently. Here, the surge of SLC structural studies since 2017 were summarized in several aspects, which include the “very first” structures disclosed in certain SLC families; methodologies used in preparing SLC proteins, determination of structures, and functional assays; vital information obtained from SLC structures; the role of lipids; and some other unanswered questions. This review may provide valuable information for the direction of future structural investigation on solute carriers.