(GLUT or SLC2A family) are a family of membrane proteins found in most mammalian cells.
A group of special proteins that transport glucose into the cell. There are four glucose transporters, called GLUT 1, 2, 3, and 4. Some cell types have only one of these while others have more than one. The transporters differ slightly in their structure and function with respect to the function of the tissues that contain them. The glucose transporter is referred to as a mobile transporter because when it is not in use, it is sequestered in an intracellular pool. When needed, it leaves its storage site, moves to the interior aspect of the plasma membrane, forms a loose bond with the membrane, picks up the glucose molecule, and moves it through the membrane into the cytosol whereupon the glucose can be phosphorylated and metabolized. Aberrations in the mobile glucose transporters affect glucose use.
A group of membranous proteins that are commonly present in the majority of mammalian cells and possess the capacity to facilitate the transfer of glucose molecules from one side of the cellular membrane to the other.