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Monocarboxylate transporter
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<p>The monocarboxylate transporters, or MCTs, are a family of <a href="/facts/Proton/clCjepXP">proton</a>-linked <a href="/facts/Membrane_transport_protein/h1aczVxg">plasma membrane transporters</a> that carry molecules having one <a href="/facts/Carboxylate/vEDekXRr">carboxylate</a> group (monocarboxylates), such as <a href="/facts/Lactic_acid/BsVRFx7s">lactate</a>, <a href="/facts/Pyruvic_acid/qJTgl4J9">pyruvate</a>, and <a href="/facts/Ketone/BqQXpLo4">ketones</a> across <a href="/facts/Biological_membranes/ljBsfK4r">biological membranes</a>. <a href="/facts/Acetate/U90VVczy">Acetate</a> is actively transported to intestinal <a href="/facts/Enteroendocrine_cell/P4bs7FKh">enteroendocrine</a> cells via MCT, termed Targ (short for <a href="/facts/Isgelen_tarag/zIsUVy9X">Tarag</a> in <a href="/facts/Mongolian_language/0Lxog7Md">Mongolian</a>). MCTs are expressed in nearly every kind of cell. </p><p>There are 14 MCTs corresponding to 14 <a href="/facts/Solute_carrier_family/Pnuz1TLA">solute carrier</a> 16A transporters, although the cardinal numbers do not match (for example MCT3 is SLC16A8). MCTs 1-4 have been more carefully investigated than MCTs 5-14. </p><p>MCTs can be <a href="/facts/Downregulation_and_upregulation/6nRoa28r">upregulated</a> by <a href="/facts/Peroxisome_proliferator-activated_receptor_alpha/bBpMD9fW">PPAR-α</a>, <a href="/facts/HIF1A/C2A2AXkH">HIF-1α</a>, <a href="/facts/NFE2L2/l5yHVRD8">Nrf2</a>, and <a href="/facts/AMP-activated_protein_kinase/Uka4mXB7">AMPK</a>. </p>