This gene encodes a major glucose transporter in the mammalian blood-brain barrier. The encoded protein is found primarily in the cell membrane and on the cell surface, where it can also function as a receptor for human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV) I and II. Mutations in this gene have been found in a family with paroxysmal exertion-induced dyskinesia. [provided by RefSeq, Apr 2013]
Forensic Context
A study in human autopsy tissue demonstrated that the SLC2A1 mRNA is upregulated in cardiac and skeletal muscle from individuals who died of asphyxia and in brain tissue from those who died of sudden cardiac death when expression data are normalized using a validated set of reference genes [Huth et al. DOI:10.1007/S00414-012-0787-2]. A study in humans demonstrated that mRNA quantification of the SLC2A1 in autopsy tissue specimens has diagnostic significance for investigating tissue ischemia/hypoxia and pathophysiological changes leading to death after injury [Zhao et al. DOI:10.1016/J.Forsciint.2007.12.004]. Forensic molecular pathology incorporates such omic analyses to visualize dynamic functional changes in the dying process, with the SLC2A1 being investigated for its role in tissue hypoxia/ischemia as part of an advanced molecular autopsy approach [Maeda et al. DOI:10.1016/J.Legalmed.2014.01.002].