xCT/SLC7A11 Proteins and Enzymes

xCT, also called SLC7A11, is the light chain component of the cysteine/glutamate amino acid exchange transporter system Xc (1,2). System Xc is composed of two subunits, the light chain (xCT) and the heavy chain (CD98hc, SLC3A2) and functions by cellular uptake of cysteine in exchange for glutamate in a 1:1 ratio (1,2). The human xCT gene is located on chromosome 4q28.3 and is synthesized as a 12-pass transmembrane protein with both the N- and C-terminals located intracellularly (2, 3). xCT is a ...