SLC6A8 (creatine transporter 1, CRT/CT1) is a sodium- and chloride-dependent plasma membrane creatine transporter of the SLC6 (SNF/neurotransmitter:sodium symporter) family. The 635-residue, 12-transmembrane protein couples the inward electrochemical gradients of Na+ and Cl- to import creatine into cells with a stoichiometry of approximately 2 Na+ : 1 Cl- : 1 creatine, generating an electrogenic, high-affinity (micromolar Km) uptake that is highly specific for creatine and closely related guanidino compounds; it does not transport choline or the neurotransmitter GABA despite its family relationship to GABA, taurine and betaine transporters. It is the transport arm of the creatine/phosphocreatine energy-buffer system, distributing blood-borne creatine to tissues with high and fluctuating energy demand. It is most strongly expressed in skeletal muscle, kidney and heart, with lower expression in brain, and is also present in intestine and other epithelia; in polarized epithelial cells (intestine, kidney) it localizes to the apical plasma membrane. It mediates creatine entry into the brain across the blood-brain barrier. Loss-of-function variants cause X-linked cerebral creatine deficiency syndrome 1 (creatine transporter deficiency), characterized by intellectual disability, severe speech delay, behavioral abnormalities and seizures.
| GO Term | Evidence | Action | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
|
GO:0005886
plasma membrane
|
IBA
GO_REF:0000033 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: SLC6A8 is an integral plasma membrane transporter; the plasma membrane is where it acts. Well supported and consistent with experimental localization.
Reason: Correct cellular location for the transporter, corroborated by experimental (IMP/IDA) localization to the plasma membrane / apical plasma membrane.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:22644605
All mutants were properly targeted to the plasma membrane in both systems.
|
|
GO:0006865
amino acid transport
|
IBA
GO_REF:0000033 |
MARK AS OVER ANNOTATED |
Summary: Creatine is a guanidino compound, not an amino acid, and the established substrate of SLC6A8 is creatine. This IBA term is an imprecise, family-level generalization that mischaracterizes the cargo.
Reason: Over-broad/family-derived annotation; the specific, experimentally established transported substrate is creatine (GO:0015881), not amino acids. Better captured by creatine transmembrane transport.
|
|
GO:0035725
sodium ion transmembrane transport
|
IBA
GO_REF:0000033 |
KEEP AS NON CORE |
Summary: SLC6A8 cotransports Na+ together with creatine, so it does participate in sodium ion transmembrane transport, but this is a generic by-product of the symport mechanism rather than its core dedicated function.
Reason: Mechanistically true (Na+ is co-transported) but generic; the core function is creatine symport. Retain as a non-core mechanistic annotation.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:9882430
induced a Na+- and Cl--dependent creatine uptake activity
|
|
GO:0005332
gamma-aminobutyric acid:sodium:chloride symporter activity
|
IBA
GO_REF:0000033 |
MARK AS OVER ANNOTATED |
Summary: This IBA annotation, propagated from GABA/monoamine transporter relatives in the SLC6 family, assigns the wrong substrate. SLC6A8 transports creatine, not GABA; GABA does not inhibit creatine uptake, indicating it is not a substrate.
Reason: Wrong-substrate over-annotation derived from family phylogeny. The experimentally verified molecular function is creatine:sodium symporter activity (GO:0005309). GABA is not transported.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:12433955
More distant structural analogues of creatine, such as GABA, choline, glycine, beta-alanine, taurine and betaine, had no effect on intestinal creatine uptake, indicating a high substrate specificity of the creatine transporter
|
|
GO:0005309
creatine:sodium symporter activity
|
IEA
GO_REF:0000120 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Correct core molecular function, here assigned electronically. Strongly supported by multiple experimental annotations and the UniProt catalytic activity.
Reason: Accurate molecular function; this is the core activity of SLC6A8. Corroborated by independent IDA/IMP evidence.
|
|
GO:0005886
plasma membrane
|
IEA
GO_REF:0000120 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Correct plasma membrane localization, assigned electronically and supported experimentally.
Reason: Correct cellular location; redundant with experimental plasma membrane annotations.
|
|
GO:0006836
neurotransmitter transport
|
IEA
GO_REF:0000002 |
MARK AS OVER ANNOTATED |
Summary: Creatine is not a classical neurotransmitter and SLC6A8 is a creatine transporter, not a neurotransmitter transporter. This term derives from the InterPro signature shared with the neurotransmitter:sodium symporter family.
Reason: Family-signature (InterPro) over-annotation; the transported cargo is creatine, not a neurotransmitter. Better represented by creatine transmembrane transport.
|
|
GO:0015812
gamma-aminobutyric acid transport
|
IEA
GO_REF:0000108 |
MARK AS OVER ANNOTATED |
Summary: Inferred logically from the (incorrect for this gene) GABA symporter molecular function. Since SLC6A8 does not transport GABA, this process annotation is also incorrect.
Reason: Downstream of the erroneous GO:0005332 GABA symporter annotation; GABA is not a substrate of SLC6A8.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:12433955
More distant structural analogues of creatine, such as GABA, choline, glycine, beta-alanine, taurine and betaine, had no effect on intestinal creatine uptake
|
|
GO:0016020
membrane
|
IEA
GO_REF:0000002 |
KEEP AS NON CORE |
Summary: Generic membrane localization, true but uninformative given the more specific plasma membrane / apical plasma membrane annotations.
Reason: Correct but non-specific; subsumed by the plasma membrane annotation. Retained as a high-level location.
|
|
GO:0016324
apical plasma membrane
|
IEA
GO_REF:0000044 |
KEEP AS NON CORE |
Summary: In polarized epithelia (intestine, kidney) SLC6A8 is apical. Correct context-specific localization, also supported experimentally by immunohistochemistry in enterocytes.
Reason: Accurate for polarized epithelial cells but context-specific; the gene-wide core location is plasma membrane.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:12433955
CRT protein was mainly associated with the apical membrane of the enterocytes
|
|
GO:0006600
creatine metabolic process
|
TAS
Reactome:R-HSA-71288 |
KEEP AS NON CORE |
Summary: SLC6A8 is the transport step of cellular creatine handling and so participates in the creatine metabolic process. Reasonable high-level process annotation.
Reason: Accurate process context (creatine distribution within metabolism) but broader than the specific creatine transmembrane transport process that is the gene's core role.
|
|
GO:0005309
creatine:sodium symporter activity
|
ISS
PMID:25531585 Negative regulation of the creatine transporter SLC6A8 by SP... |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Core molecular function, supported here by sequence/ortholog similarity. Correct.
Reason: Accurate core molecular function; consistent with direct experimental evidence.
|
|
GO:0005309
creatine:sodium symporter activity
|
IMP
PMID:17465020 Functional characterization of missense variants in the crea... |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Functional (creatine uptake) characterization of SLC6A8 missense variants establishes the creatine:sodium symporter activity by mutational analysis. Strong support for the core molecular function.
Reason: Direct experimental (IMP) support for the core molecular function via variant analysis.
|
|
GO:0005309
creatine:sodium symporter activity
|
IMP
PMID:22644605 Functional and electrophysiological characterization of four... |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Electrophysiological and transport characterization of non-truncating SLC6A8 mutants directly demonstrates electrogenic, Na+/Cl--coupled creatine symport activity.
Reason: Strong direct experimental (IMP) support; loss of activity in mutants confirms the function.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:22644605
Mutations led to the complete loss of both electrogenic and transport activities
|
|
GO:0005309
creatine:sodium symporter activity
|
IMP
PMID:25861866 Estimated carrier frequency of creatine transporter deficien... |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Functional creatine-uptake characterization of novel SLC6A8 missense variants supports the creatine:sodium symporter molecular function.
Reason: Direct experimental (IMP) support for the core molecular function.
|
|
GO:0005309
creatine:sodium symporter activity
|
IDA
PMID:7945388 The cloning and expression of a human creatine transporter. |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Heterologous expression of the cloned human creatine transporter produced sodium-dependent creatine uptake, directly demonstrating the activity.
Reason: Direct assay (IDA) of the core molecular function in a heterologous system.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:7945388
Transient expression of the hCRT-BS2M in COS-7 cells demonstrates sodium dependent [14C]creatine uptake with a KM value of 14.9 +/- 3.0 microM
|
|
GO:0005309
creatine:sodium symporter activity
|
IDA
PMID:7953292 Cloning, pharmacological characterization, and genomic local... |
ACCEPT |
Summary: The cloned human creatine transporter mediated high-affinity creatine uptake with no transport of choline, directly establishing creatine symport activity and specificity.
Reason: Direct assay (IDA) of the core molecular function with demonstrated substrate specificity.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:7953292
mediated high affinity (Km = 77 +/- 6 microM) creatine uptake, which was blocked by creatine analogs with high affinity. There was no specific transport of choline
|
|
GO:0005309
creatine:sodium symporter activity
|
IDA
PMID:9882430 Molecular characterization of the human CRT-1 creatine trans... |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Expression of the human heart CRT-1 cDNA in Xenopus oocytes induced Na+- and Cl--dependent creatine uptake, directly demonstrating the symporter activity.
Reason: Direct assay (IDA) establishing Na+/Cl--dependent creatine symport.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:9882430
induced a Na+- and Cl--dependent creatine uptake activity that saturated with a Km of approximately 20 microM for creatine
|
|
GO:0005886
plasma membrane
|
IMP
PMID:22644605 Functional and electrophysiological characterization of four... |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Immunofluorescence/western blot localization of wild-type and mutant SLC6A8 to the plasma membrane. Correct core localization.
Reason: Direct experimental support for plasma membrane localization.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:22644605
All mutants were properly targeted to the plasma membrane in both systems
|
|
GO:0016324
apical plasma membrane
|
IDA
PMID:12433955 Human, rat and chicken small intestinal Na+ - Cl- -creatine ... |
KEEP AS NON CORE |
Summary: Immunohistochemistry localized CRT to the apical membrane of enterocytes, establishing apical localization in polarized epithelia.
Reason: Accurate context-specific (polarized epithelium) localization; the gene-wide core location is plasma membrane.
Supporting Evidence:
PMID:12433955
CRT protein was mainly associated with the apical membrane of the enterocytes
|
|
GO:0005309
creatine:sodium symporter activity
|
TAS
Reactome:R-HSA-200396 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Core molecular function captured via Reactome pathway curation. Correct.
Reason: Accurate core molecular function; consistent with experimental evidence.
|
|
GO:0015881
creatine transmembrane transport
|
IMP
PMID:25861866 Estimated carrier frequency of creatine transporter deficien... |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Functional creatine-uptake assays of SLC6A8 variants support the gene's involvement in creatine transmembrane transport. This is the core biological process.
Reason: Direct experimental support for the core transport process; this is a primary core process for SLC6A8.
|
|
GO:0005308
creatine transmembrane transporter activity
|
NAS
PMID:8661037 Identification of a testis-expressed creatine transporter ge... |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Correct molecular function but more general than the substrate-and-coupling-specific GO:0005309 (creatine:sodium symporter activity) that is experimentally supported.
Reason: Accurate parent molecular function; retained as a correct (if broader) term. The more precise creatine:sodium symporter activity (GO:0005309) is recorded as the core molecular function in core_functions; GO:0005308 is kept as an accepted parent rather than modified away, since it is not wrong.
|
|
GO:0015881
creatine transmembrane transport
|
NAS
PMID:8661037 Identification of a testis-expressed creatine transporter ge... |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Correct core biological process, asserted from the literature. Accurate.
Reason: Accurate core transport process; corroborated by experimental IMP evidence.
|
|
GO:0005886
plasma membrane
|
TAS
Reactome:R-HSA-200396 |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Correct plasma membrane localization captured via Reactome curation.
Reason: Accurate core location; redundant with experimental plasma membrane annotations.
|
|
GO:0005309
creatine:sodium symporter activity
|
TAS
PMID:7953292 Cloning, pharmacological characterization, and genomic local... |
ACCEPT |
Summary: Core molecular function captured from the cloning/characterization paper.
Reason: Accurate core molecular function; the same paper provides direct IDA support.
|
|
GO:0006936
muscle contraction
|
TAS
PMID:8661155 The genomic organization of a human creatine transporter (CR... |
MARK AS OVER ANNOTATED |
Summary: SLC6A8 supplies creatine to skeletal and cardiac muscle for the phosphocreatine energy buffer, an upstream physiological role rather than direct participation in the contraction machinery. The cited reference (PMID:8661155) is a genomic-organization paper that does not establish a role in contraction (flagged MISCITED in its reference_review).
Reason: Indirect, downstream physiological consequence (creatine supply supports muscle energy metabolism); not a core molecular activity of the transporter and not direct involvement in the contractile process. The sole cited reference does not support a contraction role, so this is over-annotated rather than a supportable non-core function.
|
|
GO:0016020
membrane
|
TAS
PMID:7953292 Cloning, pharmacological characterization, and genomic local... |
KEEP AS NON CORE |
Summary: Generic membrane localization; subsumed by the more specific plasma membrane annotations.
Reason: Correct but non-specific; retained as a high-level location.
|
Q: Does SLC6A8 transport guanidinoacetate (the GAMT substrate) to any physiologically relevant degree, or is it strictly selective for creatine among the guanidino compounds?
Experiment: Side-by-side radiolabeled/LC-MS uptake assays in SLC6A8-expressing cells comparing creatine, guanidinoacetate, GABA, taurine and betaine, with Na+/Cl- dependence and competition controls, to quantify substrate selectivity.
Hypothesis: SLC6A8 selectively imports creatine and does not efficiently transport guanidinoacetate or other amino acids/neurotransmitters.
Type: transport assay
UniProt P48029 (SC6A8_HUMAN). HGNC:11055. Gene at Xq28. 635 aa, 12-TM, SLC6 (SNF/NSS;
TC 2.A.22) family, SLC6A8 subfamily. Disease: X-linked cerebral creatine deficiency
syndrome 1 (CCDS1 / creatine transporter deficiency, CTD).
creatine(out) + chloride(out) + 2 Na(+)(out) = creatine(in) + chloride(in) + 2 Na(+)(in)CORE: GO:0005309 creatine:sodium symporter activity (MF; strong IDA/IMP),
GO:0015881 creatine transmembrane transport (BP), GO:0005886 plasma membrane (CC).
GO:0005308 creatine transmembrane transporter activity (parent MF, NAS) is correct but
less precise than 0005309 → KEEP_AS_NON_CORE/ACCEPT.
OVER-ANNOTATIONS / family-electronic leakage:
- GO:0005332 gamma-aminobutyric acid:sodium:chloride symporter activity (IBA): wrong
substrate — SLC6A8 does not transport GABA; MARK_AS_OVER_ANNOTATED.
- GO:0006836 neurotransmitter transport (IEA InterPro): creatine is not a neurotransmitter;
over-annotation from family signature → MARK_AS_OVER_ANNOTATED.
- GO:0015812 gamma-aminobutyric acid transport (IEA, inferred from GO:0005332):
inherits the wrong-substrate error → MARK_AS_OVER_ANNOTATED.
- GO:0006865 amino acid transport (IBA): creatine is not an amino acid (it's a guanidino
compound); too generic/imprecise → MARK_AS_OVER_ANNOTATED.
- GO:0006936 muscle contraction (TAS PMID:8661155, a genomic-organization paper): indirect
physiological role, not a molecular function of the transporter → KEEP_AS_NON_CORE.
- GO:0035725 sodium ion transmembrane transport (IBA): true (it cotransports Na+) but
generic; KEEP_AS_NON_CORE.
- GO:0016020 membrane (TAS), GO:0006600 creatine metabolic process (TAS Reactome): generic
but acceptable; ACCEPT/KEEP_AS_NON_CORE.
- GO:0016324 apical plasma membrane (IDA PMID:12433955; IEA): correct in polarized epithelia
(apical), ACCEPT but context-specific → KEEP_AS_NON_CORE for the gene as a whole.
id: P48029
gene_symbol: SLC6A8
product_type: PROTEIN
status: COMPLETE
taxon:
id: NCBITaxon:9606
label: Homo sapiens
description: >-
SLC6A8 (creatine transporter 1, CRT/CT1) is a sodium- and chloride-dependent
plasma membrane creatine transporter of the SLC6 (SNF/neurotransmitter:sodium
symporter) family. The 635-residue, 12-transmembrane protein couples the inward
electrochemical gradients of Na+ and Cl- to import creatine into cells with a
stoichiometry of approximately 2 Na+ : 1 Cl- : 1 creatine, generating an
electrogenic, high-affinity (micromolar Km) uptake that is highly specific for
creatine and closely related guanidino compounds; it does not transport choline
or the neurotransmitter GABA despite its family relationship to GABA, taurine and
betaine transporters. It is the transport arm of the creatine/phosphocreatine
energy-buffer system, distributing blood-borne creatine to tissues with high and
fluctuating energy demand. It is most strongly expressed in skeletal muscle,
kidney and heart, with lower expression in brain, and is also present in intestine
and other epithelia; in polarized epithelial cells (intestine, kidney) it localizes
to the apical plasma membrane. It mediates creatine entry into the brain across the
blood-brain barrier. Loss-of-function variants cause X-linked cerebral creatine
deficiency syndrome 1 (creatine transporter deficiency), characterized by
intellectual disability, severe speech delay, behavioral abnormalities and seizures.
alternative_products:
- name: 1 (CRT1)
id: P48029-1
- name: 2 (CRT2, SLC6A8B)
id: P48029-2
sequence_note: VSP_043917, VSP_043918, VSP_043919,
- name: 3 (SLC6A8C)
id: P48029-3
sequence_note: VSP_043916
- name: '4'
id: P48029-4
sequence_note: VSP_046316
existing_annotations:
- term:
id: GO:0005886
label: plasma membrane
evidence_type: IBA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000033
qualifier: is_active_in
review:
summary: >-
SLC6A8 is an integral plasma membrane transporter; the plasma membrane is
where it acts. Well supported and consistent with experimental localization.
action: ACCEPT
reason: >-
Correct cellular location for the transporter, corroborated by experimental
(IMP/IDA) localization to the plasma membrane / apical plasma membrane.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:22644605
supporting_text: All mutants were properly targeted to the plasma membrane in both systems.
- term:
id: GO:0006865
label: amino acid transport
evidence_type: IBA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000033
qualifier: involved_in
review:
summary: >-
Creatine is a guanidino compound, not an amino acid, and the established
substrate of SLC6A8 is creatine. This IBA term is an imprecise, family-level
generalization that mischaracterizes the cargo.
action: MARK_AS_OVER_ANNOTATED
reason: >-
Over-broad/family-derived annotation; the specific, experimentally established
transported substrate is creatine (GO:0015881), not amino acids. Better captured
by creatine transmembrane transport.
- term:
id: GO:0035725
label: sodium ion transmembrane transport
evidence_type: IBA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000033
qualifier: involved_in
review:
summary: >-
SLC6A8 cotransports Na+ together with creatine, so it does participate in sodium
ion transmembrane transport, but this is a generic by-product of the symport
mechanism rather than its core dedicated function.
action: KEEP_AS_NON_CORE
reason: >-
Mechanistically true (Na+ is co-transported) but generic; the core function is
creatine symport. Retain as a non-core mechanistic annotation.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:9882430
supporting_text: induced a Na+- and Cl--dependent creatine uptake activity
- term:
id: GO:0005332
label: gamma-aminobutyric acid:sodium:chloride symporter activity
evidence_type: IBA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000033
qualifier: enables
review:
summary: >-
This IBA annotation, propagated from GABA/monoamine transporter relatives in the
SLC6 family, assigns the wrong substrate. SLC6A8 transports creatine, not GABA;
GABA does not inhibit creatine uptake, indicating it is not a substrate.
action: MARK_AS_OVER_ANNOTATED
reason: >-
Wrong-substrate over-annotation derived from family phylogeny. The experimentally
verified molecular function is creatine:sodium symporter activity (GO:0005309).
GABA is not transported.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:12433955
supporting_text: >-
More distant structural analogues of creatine, such as GABA, choline, glycine,
beta-alanine, taurine and betaine, had no effect on intestinal creatine uptake,
indicating a high substrate specificity of the creatine transporter
- term:
id: GO:0005309
label: creatine:sodium symporter activity
evidence_type: IEA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000120
qualifier: enables
review:
summary: >-
Correct core molecular function, here assigned electronically. Strongly supported
by multiple experimental annotations and the UniProt catalytic activity.
action: ACCEPT
reason: >-
Accurate molecular function; this is the core activity of SLC6A8. Corroborated by
independent IDA/IMP evidence.
- term:
id: GO:0005886
label: plasma membrane
evidence_type: IEA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000120
qualifier: located_in
review:
summary: Correct plasma membrane localization, assigned electronically and supported experimentally.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Correct cellular location; redundant with experimental plasma membrane annotations.
- term:
id: GO:0006836
label: neurotransmitter transport
evidence_type: IEA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000002
qualifier: involved_in
review:
summary: >-
Creatine is not a classical neurotransmitter and SLC6A8 is a creatine transporter,
not a neurotransmitter transporter. This term derives from the InterPro signature
shared with the neurotransmitter:sodium symporter family.
action: MARK_AS_OVER_ANNOTATED
reason: >-
Family-signature (InterPro) over-annotation; the transported cargo is creatine, not
a neurotransmitter. Better represented by creatine transmembrane transport.
- term:
id: GO:0015812
label: gamma-aminobutyric acid transport
evidence_type: IEA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000108
qualifier: involved_in
review:
summary: >-
Inferred logically from the (incorrect for this gene) GABA symporter molecular
function. Since SLC6A8 does not transport GABA, this process annotation is also
incorrect.
action: MARK_AS_OVER_ANNOTATED
reason: >-
Downstream of the erroneous GO:0005332 GABA symporter annotation; GABA is not a
substrate of SLC6A8.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:12433955
supporting_text: >-
More distant structural analogues of creatine, such as GABA, choline, glycine,
beta-alanine, taurine and betaine, had no effect on intestinal creatine uptake
- term:
id: GO:0016020
label: membrane
evidence_type: IEA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000002
qualifier: located_in
review:
summary: >-
Generic membrane localization, true but uninformative given the more specific
plasma membrane / apical plasma membrane annotations.
action: KEEP_AS_NON_CORE
reason: >-
Correct but non-specific; subsumed by the plasma membrane annotation. Retained as
a high-level location.
- term:
id: GO:0016324
label: apical plasma membrane
evidence_type: IEA
original_reference_id: GO_REF:0000044
qualifier: located_in
review:
summary: >-
In polarized epithelia (intestine, kidney) SLC6A8 is apical. Correct context-specific
localization, also supported experimentally by immunohistochemistry in enterocytes.
action: KEEP_AS_NON_CORE
reason: >-
Accurate for polarized epithelial cells but context-specific; the gene-wide core
location is plasma membrane.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:12433955
supporting_text: CRT protein was mainly associated with the apical membrane of the enterocytes
- term:
id: GO:0006600
label: creatine metabolic process
evidence_type: TAS
original_reference_id: Reactome:R-HSA-71288
qualifier: involved_in
review:
summary: >-
SLC6A8 is the transport step of cellular creatine handling and so participates in the
creatine metabolic process. Reasonable high-level process annotation.
action: KEEP_AS_NON_CORE
reason: >-
Accurate process context (creatine distribution within metabolism) but broader than
the specific creatine transmembrane transport process that is the gene's core role.
- term:
id: GO:0005309
label: creatine:sodium symporter activity
evidence_type: ISS
original_reference_id: PMID:25531585
qualifier: enables
review:
summary: Core molecular function, supported here by sequence/ortholog similarity. Correct.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Accurate core molecular function; consistent with direct experimental evidence.
- term:
id: GO:0005309
label: creatine:sodium symporter activity
evidence_type: IMP
original_reference_id: PMID:17465020
qualifier: enables
review:
summary: >-
Functional (creatine uptake) characterization of SLC6A8 missense variants establishes
the creatine:sodium symporter activity by mutational analysis. Strong support for the
core molecular function.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Direct experimental (IMP) support for the core molecular function via variant analysis.
- term:
id: GO:0005309
label: creatine:sodium symporter activity
evidence_type: IMP
original_reference_id: PMID:22644605
qualifier: enables
review:
summary: >-
Electrophysiological and transport characterization of non-truncating SLC6A8 mutants
directly demonstrates electrogenic, Na+/Cl--coupled creatine symport activity.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Strong direct experimental (IMP) support; loss of activity in mutants confirms the function.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:22644605
supporting_text: Mutations led to the complete loss of both electrogenic and transport activities
- term:
id: GO:0005309
label: creatine:sodium symporter activity
evidence_type: IMP
original_reference_id: PMID:25861866
qualifier: enables
review:
summary: >-
Functional creatine-uptake characterization of novel SLC6A8 missense variants supports
the creatine:sodium symporter molecular function.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Direct experimental (IMP) support for the core molecular function.
- term:
id: GO:0005309
label: creatine:sodium symporter activity
evidence_type: IDA
original_reference_id: PMID:7945388
qualifier: enables
review:
summary: >-
Heterologous expression of the cloned human creatine transporter produced sodium-dependent
creatine uptake, directly demonstrating the activity.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Direct assay (IDA) of the core molecular function in a heterologous system.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:7945388
supporting_text: >-
Transient expression of the hCRT-BS2M in COS-7 cells demonstrates sodium dependent
[14C]creatine uptake with a KM value of 14.9 +/- 3.0 microM
- term:
id: GO:0005309
label: creatine:sodium symporter activity
evidence_type: IDA
original_reference_id: PMID:7953292
qualifier: enables
review:
summary: >-
The cloned human creatine transporter mediated high-affinity creatine uptake with no
transport of choline, directly establishing creatine symport activity and specificity.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Direct assay (IDA) of the core molecular function with demonstrated substrate specificity.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:7953292
supporting_text: >-
mediated high affinity (Km = 77 +/- 6 microM) creatine uptake, which was blocked by
creatine analogs with high affinity. There was no specific transport of choline
- term:
id: GO:0005309
label: creatine:sodium symporter activity
evidence_type: IDA
original_reference_id: PMID:9882430
qualifier: enables
review:
summary: >-
Expression of the human heart CRT-1 cDNA in Xenopus oocytes induced Na+- and
Cl--dependent creatine uptake, directly demonstrating the symporter activity.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Direct assay (IDA) establishing Na+/Cl--dependent creatine symport.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:9882430
supporting_text: >-
induced a Na+- and Cl--dependent creatine uptake activity that saturated with a Km of
approximately 20 microM for creatine
- term:
id: GO:0005886
label: plasma membrane
evidence_type: IMP
original_reference_id: PMID:22644605
qualifier: located_in
review:
summary: >-
Immunofluorescence/western blot localization of wild-type and mutant SLC6A8 to the
plasma membrane. Correct core localization.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Direct experimental support for plasma membrane localization.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:22644605
supporting_text: All mutants were properly targeted to the plasma membrane in both systems
- term:
id: GO:0016324
label: apical plasma membrane
evidence_type: IDA
original_reference_id: PMID:12433955
qualifier: located_in
review:
summary: >-
Immunohistochemistry localized CRT to the apical membrane of enterocytes, establishing
apical localization in polarized epithelia.
action: KEEP_AS_NON_CORE
reason: >-
Accurate context-specific (polarized epithelium) localization; the gene-wide core
location is plasma membrane.
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:12433955
supporting_text: CRT protein was mainly associated with the apical membrane of the enterocytes
- term:
id: GO:0005309
label: creatine:sodium symporter activity
evidence_type: TAS
original_reference_id: Reactome:R-HSA-200396
qualifier: enables
review:
summary: Core molecular function captured via Reactome pathway curation. Correct.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Accurate core molecular function; consistent with experimental evidence.
- term:
id: GO:0015881
label: creatine transmembrane transport
evidence_type: IMP
original_reference_id: PMID:25861866
qualifier: involved_in
review:
summary: >-
Functional creatine-uptake assays of SLC6A8 variants support the gene's involvement in
creatine transmembrane transport. This is the core biological process.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Direct experimental support for the core transport process; this is a primary core process for SLC6A8.
- term:
id: GO:0005308
label: creatine transmembrane transporter activity
evidence_type: NAS
original_reference_id: PMID:8661037
qualifier: enables
review:
summary: >-
Correct molecular function but more general than the substrate-and-coupling-specific
GO:0005309 (creatine:sodium symporter activity) that is experimentally supported.
action: ACCEPT
reason: >-
Accurate parent molecular function; retained as a correct (if broader) term. The more
precise creatine:sodium symporter activity (GO:0005309) is recorded as the core molecular
function in core_functions; GO:0005308 is kept as an accepted parent rather than modified
away, since it is not wrong.
- term:
id: GO:0015881
label: creatine transmembrane transport
evidence_type: NAS
original_reference_id: PMID:8661037
qualifier: involved_in
review:
summary: Correct core biological process, asserted from the literature. Accurate.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Accurate core transport process; corroborated by experimental IMP evidence.
- term:
id: GO:0005886
label: plasma membrane
evidence_type: TAS
original_reference_id: Reactome:R-HSA-200396
qualifier: located_in
review:
summary: Correct plasma membrane localization captured via Reactome curation.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Accurate core location; redundant with experimental plasma membrane annotations.
- term:
id: GO:0005309
label: creatine:sodium symporter activity
evidence_type: TAS
original_reference_id: PMID:7953292
qualifier: enables
review:
summary: Core molecular function captured from the cloning/characterization paper.
action: ACCEPT
reason: Accurate core molecular function; the same paper provides direct IDA support.
- term:
id: GO:0006936
label: muscle contraction
evidence_type: TAS
original_reference_id: PMID:8661155
qualifier: involved_in
review:
summary: >-
SLC6A8 supplies creatine to skeletal and cardiac muscle for the phosphocreatine energy
buffer, an upstream physiological role rather than direct participation in the
contraction machinery. The cited reference (PMID:8661155) is a genomic-organization paper
that does not establish a role in contraction (flagged MISCITED in its reference_review).
action: MARK_AS_OVER_ANNOTATED
reason: >-
Indirect, downstream physiological consequence (creatine supply supports muscle energy
metabolism); not a core molecular activity of the transporter and not direct involvement
in the contractile process. The sole cited reference does not support a contraction role,
so this is over-annotated rather than a supportable non-core function.
- term:
id: GO:0016020
label: membrane
evidence_type: TAS
original_reference_id: PMID:7953292
qualifier: located_in
review:
summary: Generic membrane localization; subsumed by the more specific plasma membrane annotations.
action: KEEP_AS_NON_CORE
reason: Correct but non-specific; retained as a high-level location.
core_functions:
- description: >-
Sodium- and chloride-dependent symport of creatine across the plasma membrane,
coupling the inward Na+ and Cl- electrochemical gradients to import creatine into
the cell (approx. 2 Na+ : 1 Cl- : 1 creatine), thereby supplying creatine to the
cellular creatine/phosphocreatine energy-buffer system in muscle, brain and other
energy-demanding tissues.
molecular_function:
id: GO:0005309
label: creatine:sodium symporter activity
directly_involved_in:
- id: GO:0015881
label: creatine transmembrane transport
locations:
- id: GO:0005886
label: plasma membrane
supported_by:
- reference_id: PMID:9882430
supporting_text: >-
induced a Na+- and Cl--dependent creatine uptake activity that saturated with a Km of
approximately 20 microM for creatine
- reference_id: PMID:7953292
supporting_text: >-
mediated high affinity (Km = 77 +/- 6 microM) creatine uptake, which was blocked by
creatine analogs with high affinity. There was no specific transport of choline
- reference_id: PMID:22644605
supporting_text: Mutations led to the complete loss of both electrogenic and transport activities
suggested_questions:
- question: >-
Does SLC6A8 transport guanidinoacetate (the GAMT substrate) to any physiologically
relevant degree, or is it strictly selective for creatine among the guanidino compounds?
suggested_experiments:
- hypothesis: >-
SLC6A8 selectively imports creatine and does not efficiently transport guanidinoacetate
or other amino acids/neurotransmitters.
description: >-
Side-by-side radiolabeled/LC-MS uptake assays in SLC6A8-expressing cells comparing
creatine, guanidinoacetate, GABA, taurine and betaine, with Na+/Cl- dependence and
competition controls, to quantify substrate selectivity.
experiment_type: transport assay
references:
- id: GO_REF:0000002
title: Gene Ontology annotation through association of InterPro records with GO terms
findings: []
- id: GO_REF:0000033
title: Annotation inferences using phylogenetic trees
findings: []
- id: GO_REF:0000044
title: Gene Ontology annotation based on UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot Subcellular Location
vocabulary mapping, accompanied by conservative changes to GO terms applied by
UniProt
findings: []
- id: GO_REF:0000108
title: Automatic assignment of GO terms using logical inference, based on on inter-ontology
links
findings: []
- id: GO_REF:0000120
title: Combined Automated Annotation using Multiple IEA Methods
findings: []
- id: PMID:12433955
title: 'Human, rat and chicken small intestinal Na+ - Cl- -creatine transporter:
functional, molecular characterization and localization.'
findings:
- statement: >-
Enterocyte creatine uptake is electrogenic and Na+/Cl--dependent with a probable
stoichiometry of 2 Na+ : 1 Cl- : 1 creatine, with high substrate specificity for
creatine, and CRT localizes to the apical enterocyte membrane.
supporting_text: >-
This accumulation was electrogenic, Na(+)- and Cl(-)-dependent, with a probable
stoichiometry of 2 Na(+): 1 Cl(-): 1 creatine
reference_review:
relevance: HIGH
correctness: VERIFIED
review_notes: >-
PubMed-verified; directly establishes transport stoichiometry, substrate specificity
(no GABA/choline transport), and apical localization.
- id: PMID:17465020
title: 'Functional characterization of missense variants in the creatine transporter
gene (SLC6A8): improved diagnostic application.'
findings: []
reference_review:
relevance: HIGH
correctness: VERIFIED
review_notes: >-
PubMed-verified; functional creatine-uptake assays of SLC6A8 variants (IMP support
for the symporter activity).
- id: PMID:22644605
title: Functional and electrophysiological characterization of four non-truncating
mutations responsible for creatine transporter (SLC6A8) deficiency syndrome.
findings:
- statement: >-
Non-truncating SLC6A8 mutants traffic correctly to the plasma membrane but lose both
electrogenic and creatine-transport activities, demonstrating electrogenic Na+/Cl--coupled
creatine symport.
supporting_text: All mutants were properly targeted to the plasma membrane in both systems.
reference_review:
relevance: HIGH
correctness: VERIFIED
review_notes: PubMed-verified; electrophysiology + transport assays; IMP for symporter activity and plasma membrane localization.
- id: PMID:25531585
title: Negative regulation of the creatine transporter SLC6A8 by SPAK and OSR1.
findings: []
reference_review:
relevance: MEDIUM
correctness: VERIFIED
review_notes: PubMed-verified; SPAK/OSR1 (WNK-controlled) kinases negatively regulate SLC6A8 activity. Basis of the ISS symporter annotation.
- id: PMID:25861866
title: Estimated carrier frequency of creatine transporter deficiency in females
in the general population using functional characterization of novel missense
variants in the SLC6A8 gene.
findings: []
reference_review:
relevance: HIGH
correctness: VERIFIED
review_notes: PubMed-verified; functional creatine-uptake characterization of novel SLC6A8 variants (IMP for symporter activity and creatine transport).
- id: PMID:7945388
title: The cloning and expression of a human creatine transporter.
findings:
- statement: >-
Heterologous expression of the cloned human creatine transporter produces sodium-dependent
creatine uptake (Km 14.9 uM); mRNA most prominent in skeletal muscle, heart and kidney.
supporting_text: >-
Transient expression of the hCRT-BS2M in COS-7 cells demonstrates sodium dependent
[14C]creatine uptake with a KM value of 14.9 +/- 3.0 microM
reference_review:
relevance: HIGH
correctness: VERIFIED
review_notes: PubMed-verified; original cloning and IDA of sodium-dependent creatine uptake.
- id: PMID:7953292
title: Cloning, pharmacological characterization, and genomic localization of the
human creatine transporter.
findings:
- statement: >-
The cloned human creatine transporter mediates high-affinity creatine uptake (Km 77 uM)
with no choline transport; highest mRNA in skeletal muscle, kidney and heart; gene maps
to Xq28.
supporting_text: >-
mediated high affinity (Km = 77 +/- 6 microM) creatine uptake, which was blocked by
creatine analogs with high affinity. There was no specific transport of choline
reference_review:
relevance: HIGH
correctness: VERIFIED
review_notes: PubMed-verified; original cloning, IDA of creatine uptake, substrate specificity, tissue expression.
- id: PMID:8661037
title: Identification of a testis-expressed creatine transporter gene at 16p11.2
and confirmation of the X-linked locus to Xq28.
findings: []
reference_review:
relevance: MEDIUM
correctness: VERIFIED
review_notes: PubMed-verified; cited for NAS creatine transporter activity/transport; distinguishes the X-linked SLC6A8 locus (Xq28) from the testis CT2 gene.
- id: PMID:8661155
title: The genomic organization of a human creatine transporter (CRTR) gene located
in Xq28.
findings: []
reference_review:
relevance: LOW
correctness: MISCITED
review_notes: >-
PubMed-verified as a genomic-organization paper; cited as TAS for muscle contraction
(GO:0006936), which it does not directly establish. The muscle-contraction link is an
indirect physiological inference, kept as non-core.
- id: PMID:9882430
title: Molecular characterization of the human CRT-1 creatine transporter expressed
in Xenopus oocytes.
findings:
- statement: >-
The human heart CRT-1 cDNA expressed in Xenopus oocytes induces Na+- and Cl--dependent
creatine uptake (Km ~20 uM); Km(Na+) 59 mM, Km(Cl-) 5 mM.
supporting_text: >-
induced a Na+- and Cl--dependent creatine uptake activity that saturated with a Km of
approximately 20 microM for creatine
reference_review:
relevance: HIGH
correctness: VERIFIED
review_notes: PubMed-verified; IDA of Na+/Cl--dependent creatine symport with kinetic parameters.
- id: Reactome:R-HSA-200396
title: Creatine transport across the plasma membrane
findings: []
- id: Reactome:R-HSA-71288
title: Creatine metabolism
findings: []