There’s a new way creatine gets into cells
The cataract and glucosuria associated monocarboxylate transporter MCT12 is a new creatine transporter.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists found a second doorway that lets creatine into cells, called MCT12. It works differently than the first one and is important in the eye and kidney. A broken version was found in someone with cataracts, and rats without this doorway spill creatine in their pee.
Surprising Findings
Creatine transport can occur without sodium
All known creatine transport was thought to depend on sodium gradients (like CRT1). Finding a sodium-independent transporter (CRT2) challenges the long-standing model of how creatine enters cells.
Practical Takeaways
Maintaining creatine levels might support eye health, especially in aging populations.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists found a second doorway that lets creatine into cells, called MCT12. It works differently than the first one and is important in the eye and kidney. A broken version was found in someone with cataracts, and rats without this doorway spill creatine in their pee.
Surprising Findings
Creatine transport can occur without sodium
All known creatine transport was thought to depend on sodium gradients (like CRT1). Finding a sodium-independent transporter (CRT2) challenges the long-standing model of how creatine enters cells.
Practical Takeaways
Maintaining creatine levels might support eye health, especially in aging populations.
Publication
Journal
Human molecular genetics
Year
2013
Authors
Jeannette Abplanalp, E. Laczko, N. Philp, J. Neidhardt, Jurian Zuercher, P. Braun, D. Schorderet, F. Munier, F. Verrey, W. Berger, S. Camargo, B. Kloeckener‐Gruissem
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Claims (5)
Your muscles use a special door called SLC6A8 to let creatine in, and this door only works when there’s more sodium outside the cell than inside — like a pump that needs salt to open.
Rats without a certain gene spill more creatine in their pee, which means that gene probably helps their kidneys recycle creatine.
A person with cataracts had a rare gene change that might make it harder for their cells to take in creatine, based on lab tests.
Two different creatine transporters are found in different parts of the body— one is mostly in the kidney and eye, the other in the brain, heart, and muscles— which probably means they do different jobs in those places.
There's a second protein in the body, called MCT12, that can carry creatine into cells — kind of like a backup delivery truck. Unlike the main one, it doesn’t need salt or other chemicals to work, and it actually works better when things are more alkaline.