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Protein / target

Vesicular glutamate transporter 2

Encoded bySLC17A6Q9P2U8Homo sapiensSwiss-Prot
Antibody-tractable
Druggability
UniProt loc high conf
2
Research papers

Protein at a glance

Biological role

Neurotransmitter transmembrane transporter

Strongest disease association

Duodenal ulcer

Via encoding gene SLC17A6 · Genetic evidence · score 0.48

Research activity

Emerging research

2 papers · latest 2025

Derived from structured UniProt, Open Targets and literature data on this page.

Protein profile

UniProt 2026_02

Canonical identity and biological annotation from UniProt.

Function overview

Multifunctional transporter that transports L-glutamate as well as multiple ions such as chloride, proton, potassium, sodium and phosphate.

View complete UniProt function annotation

Multifunctional transporter that transports L-glutamate as well as multiple ions such as chloride, proton, potassium, sodium and phosphate (PubMed:11698620, PubMed:33440152). At the synaptic vesicle membrane, mainly functions as a uniporter which transports preferentially L-glutamate but also, phosphate from the cytoplasm into synaptic vesicles at presynaptic nerve terminals of excitatory neural cells (PubMed:11698620). The L-glutamate or phosphate uniporter activity is electrogenic and is driven by the proton electrochemical gradient, mainly by the electrical gradient established by the vacuolar H(+)-ATPase across the synaptic vesicle membrane (PubMed:11698620). In addition, functions as a chloride channel that allows the chloride permeation through the synaptic vesicle membrane therefore affects the proton electrochemical gradient and promotes synaptic vesicles acidification (By similarity). Moreover, functions as a vesicular K(+)/H(+) antiport allowing to maintain the electrical gradient and to decrease chemical gradient and therefore sustain vesicular glutamate uptake (By similarity). The vesicular H(+)/H(+) antiport activity is electroneutral (By similarity). At the plasma membrane, following exocytosis, functions as a symporter of Na(+) and phosphate from the extracellular space to the cytoplasm allowing synaptic phosphate homeostasis regulation (Probable) (PubMed:10820226). The symporter activity is driven by an inside negative membrane potential and is electrogenic (Probable). Also involved in the regulation of retinal hyaloid vessel regression during postnatal development (By similarity). May also play a role in the endocrine glutamatergic system of other tissues such as pineal gland and pancreas (By similarity)

Subcellular location

Cytoplasmic vesicle, secretory vesicle, synaptic vesicle membraneSynapse, synaptosomeCell membrane
Domains and Gene Ontology detail (20)

Gene Ontology

  • Cchloride channel complex
  • Cexcitatory synapse
  • Cneuron projection
  • Cplasma membrane
  • Csynaptic vesicle membrane
  • Fchloride channel activity
  • FL-glutamate transmembrane transporter activity
  • FL-glutamate uniporter activity
  • Fneurotransmitter transmembrane transporter activity
  • Fpotassium:proton antiporter activity
  • Fsodium:phosphate symporter activity
  • Phyaloid vascular plexus regression

582 aa · 64 kDa

Biological roles

What this protein does, drawn together from its UniProt function, Gene Ontology terms and Reactome pathways.

Excitatory neurotransmissionUniProt · GOChloride transportUniProt · GO
View supporting evidence

Excitatory neurotransmission

  • ·Multifunctional transporter that transports L-glutamate as well as multiple ions such as…
  • ·excitatory synapse
  • ·synaptic transmission, glutamatergic

Chloride transport

  • ·Multifunctional transporter that transports L-glutamate as well as multiple ions such as…
  • ·chloride channel complex
  • ·chloride channel activity

Concepts derived from UniProt GO Reactome — each badge above shows which sources supported that role.

Translational evidence

Open Targets 26

Why this target matters therapeutically, strongest evidence first. Disease associations are gene-level (via the gene that encodes this protein) and open into the full confidence synthesis; the development universe, tractability and safety annotations are target-level, from Open Targets.

Strongest disease associations · via encoding gene SLC17A6

Gene-level evidence surfaced through the gene SLC17A6that encodes this protein — not a direct protein–disease relationship. Ranked by Forefront's causal-directness weighting, so genetically- and clinically-evidenced diseases lead over ones that merely share the literature.

Duodenal ulcer
0.48Limited support

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.29

Atrial Fibrillation
0.46Limited support

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.28

Pre-Eclampsia
0.24Preliminary

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.14

Smoking initiation
0.11Preliminary

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.07

Cardiomyopathies
0.11Preliminary

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.07

View evidence synthesis (5)
Duodenal ulcerLimited support
0.48
agreement 0.360.60
Genetic100%

Open Targets aggregate 0.29 · 1 independent evidence family

Atrial FibrillationLimited support
0.46
agreement 0.320.60
Genetic98%Literature2%

Open Targets aggregate 0.28 · 2 independent evidence families

Pre-EclampsiaPreliminary
0.24
agreement 0.120.36
Genetic100%

Open Targets aggregate 0.14 · 1 independent evidence family

Smoking initiationPreliminary
0.11
agreement 0.000.23
Genetic100%

Open Targets aggregate 0.07 · 1 independent evidence family

CardiomyopathiesPreliminary
0.11
agreement 0.000.23
Genetic100%

Open Targets aggregate 0.07 · 1 independent evidence family

The evidence agreement range shows how closely the independent evidence families agree — it is not a statistical confidence interval, and nothing here is fitted to outcome data. Derived from Open Targets evidence types under Forefront weighting; the per-type scores above show the calculation.

Show all associations
Duodenal ulcer0.29
Atrial Fibrillation0.28
Pre-Eclampsia0.14
Smoking initiation0.07
Cardiomyopathies0.07

Tractability

AntibodiesEmerging

Feasibility evidence (uniprot loc high conf and uniprot sigp or tmhmm) — no clinical-stage drug of this modality recorded.

Protein degradersEmerging

Feasibility evidence (database ubiquitination and half-life data) — no clinical-stage drug of this modality recorded.

View underlying tractability evidence (5)
AB · UniProt loc high confAB · UniProt SigP or TMHMMAB · GO CC med confPR · Database UbiquitinationPR · Half-life Data

Raw Open Targets tractability assessment buckets, by modality.

Research activity

2 papers · to 2025

Papers linked directly to this protein. This is the protein's own literature — descriptor-derived papers are kept separate below.

Most cited

Recent

Europe PMC papers linked directly to this protein.