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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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SLC15A4
solute carrier family 15 member 4
Chromosome 12 · 12q24.33
NCBI Gene: 121260Ensembl: ENSG00000139370.13HGNC: HGNC:23090UniProt: Q8N697
44PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Transporter
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
dipeptide import across plasma membranepositive regulation of innate immune responseL-histidine transmembrane transporter activitypeptidoglycan transmembrane transporter activitysystemic lupus erythematosusalcohol drinkingpyogenic granulomaidiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension
✦AI Summary

SLC15A4 is a proton-coupled amino acid transporter localized to endolysosomal membranes that mediates the transport of L-histidine, di- and tripeptides, and bacterial peptidoglycans across the lysosomal membrane 12. The transporter preferentially binds short peptides with basic residues at the first position and hydrophobic residues at the second position 3, with activity optimized in acidic lysosomal conditions. SLC15A4 plays a central role in innate immunity by enabling pattern recognition receptor signaling. It mediates transport of NOD1 and NOD2 ligands (tri-DAP and MDP respectively) across endolysosomal membranes, facilitating microbial pathogen detection 12. Beyond its transporter function, SLC15A4 independently recruits the adapter protein TASL to endolysosomes, which subsequently activates IRF5 downstream of TLR7, TLR8, and TLR9 43, driving type I interferon production 1. Structurally, SLC15A4 undergoes conformational changes from outward- to inward-facing states to accommodate TASL binding 5. SLC15A4 regulates macrophage M1 polarization and metabolic stress resilience by controlling pyruvate-dependent glycolysis and AMPK activation 6. Genetically, SLC15A4 is associated with systemic lupus erythematosus and colitis in both humans and mice 78. These properties establish SLC15A4 as a validated therapeutic target for autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases 910.

Sources cited
1
The transporter preferentially binds short peptides with basic residues at the first position and hydrophobic residues at the second position , with activity optimized in acidic lysosomal conditions.
PMID: 39719710
2
SLC15A4 is a proton-coupled amino acid transporter localized to endolysosomal membranes that mediates the transport of L-histidine, di- and tripeptides, and bacterial peptidoglycans across the lysosomal membrane , .
PMID: 25238095
3
Structurally, SLC15A4 undergoes conformational changes from outward- to inward-facing states to accommodate TASL binding .
PMID: 37863913
4
SLC15A4 regulates macrophage M1 polarization and metabolic stress resilience by controlling pyruvate-dependent glycolysis and AMPK activation .
PMID: 34385317
⚠Limited data available — This gene has 4 indexed publications. Summary and analysis may be incomplete.
Disease Associationsⓘ20
systemic lupus erythematosusOpen Targets
0.51Moderate
alcohol drinkingOpen Targets
0.36Weak
pyogenic granulomaOpen Targets
0.30Weak
idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertensionOpen Targets
0.29Weak
joint diseaseOpen Targets
0.19Weak
injuryOpen Targets
0.18Weak
sialolithiasisOpen Targets
0.14Weak
sialadenitisOpen Targets
0.12Weak
major salivary gland cancerOpen Targets
0.12Weak
acute pancreatitisOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
cervical carcinomaOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
musculoskeletal system diseaseOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
poisoningOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
response to antibioticOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
pernicious anemiaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
adverse effectOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
uterine fibroidOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
squamous cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
ulcerative colitisOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
Alzheimer diseaseOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
TASLShared pathway47%SLC15A3Shared pathway34%IRF5Co-mentioned in literature30%SLC15A1Shared pathway29%SLC15A2Shared pathway17%RSAD2Shared pathway15%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Bone Marrow
100%
Lung
71%
Liver
60%
Brain
55%
Heart
48%
Ovary
46%
Gene Interaction Network
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SLC15A4TASLSLC15A3IRF5SLC15A1SLC15A2RSAD2
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB8JZX · 2.50 Å · EM
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.85LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.60 [0.43–0.85]
RankingsWhere SLC15A4 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #9,651of 20,598
    Most Researched44
  • #7,310of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.85
Genes detectedSLC15A4
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
TASL is the SLC15A4-associated adaptor for IRF5 activation by TLR7-9.
PMID: 32433612
Nature · 2020
1.00
2
Chemoproteomic development of SLC15A4 inhibitors with anti-inflammatory activity.
PMID: 38191941
Nat Chem Biol · 2024
0.90
3
A conformation-locking inhibitor of SLC15A4 with TASL proteostatic anti-inflammatory activity.
PMID: 37863876
Nat Commun · 2023
0.80
4
SLC15A4 mediates M1-prone metabolic shifts in macrophages and guards immune cells from metabolic stress.
PMID: 34385317
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A · 2021
0.70
5
Structural basis for recruitment of TASL by SLC15A4 in human endolysosomal TLR signaling.
PMID: 37863913
Nat Commun · 2023
0.60