▁cells ▁and ▁differenti ated ▁PC 1 2 ▁cells . ▁ ▁Phys i ological ▁role ▁▁ ▁GL UT 8 ▁function ▁in ▁v ivo ▁remains ▁to ▁be ▁defined , ▁despite ▁suggestions ▁that ▁it ▁may ▁play ▁a ▁role ▁in ▁fert ility , ▁being ▁expressed ▁at ▁high ▁levels ▁in ▁test es ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁ac ros om al ▁part ▁of ▁s perm ato zo a . ▁Furthermore , ▁GL UT 8 ▁appears ▁to ▁play ▁an ▁important ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁energy ▁met abol ism ▁of ▁s perm ▁cells . ▁ ▁The ▁recent ▁description ▁of ▁GL UT 8 ▁expression ▁in ▁kid ne ys ▁and ▁li ver ▁suggest ▁that ▁the ▁trans porter ▁may ▁play ▁a ▁role ▁in ▁gl uc ose ▁u pt ake ▁in ▁these ▁org ans . ▁ ▁GL UT 8 , ▁when ▁expressed ▁in ▁X en opus ▁o ocy tes , ▁medi ates ▁gl uc ose ▁u pt ake ▁with ▁high ▁aff inity . ▁Other ▁hex oses ▁are ▁not ▁good ▁substr ates ▁of ▁the ▁trans porter . ▁Whether ▁the ▁trans porter ▁actually ▁medi ates ▁gl uc ose ▁u pt ake ▁in ▁v ivo ▁in ▁the ▁brain ▁has ▁not ▁been ▁evaluated ▁yet . ▁ ▁M ice ▁de void ▁of ▁both ▁copies ▁of ▁the ▁S LC 2 A 8 ▁gene ▁are ▁vi able , ▁fert ile ▁and ▁do ▁not ▁show ▁any ▁obvious ▁phen ot ype . ▁They ▁are ▁not ▁di ab etic , ▁showing ▁that ▁GL UT 8 ▁is ▁unlikely ▁to ▁play ▁major ▁roles ▁in ▁gl uc ose ▁home ost asis . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Category : M emb rane