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Reference.org
Dopamine transporter
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<p>The dopamine transporter (DAT, also sodium-dependent dopamine transporter) is a membrane-spanning protein coded for in humans by the <i>SLC6A3</i> <a href="/facts/Gene/e1swwPY6">gene</a> (also known as <i>DAT1</i>), that pumps the <a href="/facts/Neurotransmitter/LlpYFSU3">neurotransmitter</a> <a href="/facts/Dopamine/5gNy8Xkd">dopamine</a> out of the <a href="/facts/Synaptic_cleft/M1x5rhz7">synaptic cleft</a> back into <a href="/facts/Cytosol/VyXgygWm">cytosol</a>. In the cytosol, other transporters sequester the dopamine into <a href="/facts/Vesicle_(biology_and_chemistry)/1KjHpjMM">vesicles</a> for storage and later release. Dopamine reuptake via DAT provides the primary mechanism through which dopamine is cleared from <a href="/facts/Synapse/vdMRJCUn">synapses</a>, although there may be an exception in the <a href="/facts/Prefrontal_cortex/dypYIrwx">prefrontal cortex</a>, where evidence points to a possibly larger role of the <a href="/facts/Norepinephrine_transporter/532N8LIg">norepinephrine transporter</a>. </p><p>DAT is implicated in a number of dopamine-related disorders, including <a href="/facts/ADHD/uSqjIyhd">attention deficit hyperactivity disorder</a>, <a href="/facts/Bipolar_disorder/aMDwXbV0">bipolar disorder</a>, <a href="/facts/Clinical_depression/l2lQeWqr">clinical depression</a>, <a href="/facts/Eating_disorder/3GwQ71sD">eating disorders</a>, and <a href="/facts/Substance_use_disorder/pSbdzb6a">substance use disorders</a>. The gene that encodes the DAT protein is located on <a href="/facts/Chromosome_5/wWp5Akno">chromosome 5</a>, consists of 15 coding <a href="/facts/Exons/8KWJtLuN">exons</a>, and is roughly 64 <a href="/facts/Base_pair/xmPpPQ9W">kbp</a> long. Evidence for the associations between DAT and dopamine related disorders has come from a type of <a href="/facts/Genetic_polymorphism/6U9NzHwH">genetic polymorphism</a>, known as a <a href="/facts/Variable_number_tandem_repeat/Ll9sP2yK">variable number tandem repeat</a>, in the <i>SLC6A3</i> gene, which influences the amount of protein expressed. </p>