GENE-PRODUCT DESIGNATIONS FOR AMINO-ACID TRANSPORTERS

The molecular cloning of genes that encode amino acid transporters pre sents the scientific community with the opportunity to name their gene products using a scheme that could usefully recall the well-defined t ransport system most similar in properties to the newly identified clo ned gene product. To avoid the problem of rising confusion, we propose to take advantage of established designation methods that indicate th e types of amino acids transported and the co-substrate ion requiremen t of their transport. The economy obligated by the necessity to keep t he number of symbols in a gene name to a minimum will rarely permit a listing of the full range of substrates, since amino acid transport sy stems have broad substrate specificities with co-substrate requirement s that can differ in a substrate-specific manner. Hence, the use of es tablished systems to codify groups of amino acid transport systems, wh ich allow identification of the substrate range by using 1-3 letters, e.g. A, L or even ASC, could be integrated with a system used to indic ate the ion-dependence of transport. The discoverers of transporters a re mainly proceeding with commendable reserve and are inviting discuss ion, a desire which this essay urges be facilitated by more formal arr angements for further planning. These discoverers have also shown, alo ng with an expressed desire for guidance, well-advised spontaneity in making reference to the substrate range, two trends that together sugg est that a good set of designations can evolve that will be highly des criptive. We propose that this can be accomplished without a struggle to accommodate awkwardly to the requirements of the huge human genome data base cataloging system, nor to any single comprehensive systemati c scheme. Instead, a combined scheme that takes into account the biolo gical and biochemical characteristics, as well as the historical desig nations, of amino acid transport systems, is offered here for evaluati on.