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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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SLC45A4
solute carrier family 45 member 4
Chromosome 8 · 8q24.3
NCBI Gene: 57210Ensembl: ENSG00000022567.10HGNC: HGNC:29196UniProt: B2RXG1
18PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
putrescine transmembrane transporter activityspermine transmembrane transporter activitysensory perception of painspermidine transmembrane transporter activityAbnormality of the skeletal systemLower limb paindiabetes mellitustooth disease
✦AI Summary

SLC45A4 is a neuronal polyamine transporter with critical roles in pain perception and metabolic regulation. Primarily, it functions as a selective plasma membrane transporter of polyamines including putrescine, cadaverine, spermine, and spermidine 1. The protein is enriched in sensory neuron subtypes within the dorsal root ganglion, where it regulates C-polymodal nociceptor excitability through polyamine-mediated modulation of neuronal signaling 1. Genome-wide association studies identified SLC45A4 variants as significantly associated with chr8 pain intensity in human populations 12. Mice lacking SLC45A4 demonstrate normal mechanosensitivity but reduced sensitivity to noxious heat and algogen-induced tonic pain due to decreased nociceptor excitability 12, establishing polyamine transport as essential for pain perception. Beyond neuronal function, SLC45A4 demonstrates additional metabolic activities. It functions as an H+-dependent sugar cotransporter promoting glycolysis in cancer cells, contributing to malignant progression in ovarian and pancreatic cancers 34. Additionally, SLC45A4 localizes to peroxisomal membranes where it transports putrescine to promote GABA de novo synthesis via the Arginine/Ornithine/Putrescine pathway 5. Clinically, SLC45A4 represents a promising therapeutic target for pain management and potential cancer intervention strategies.

Sources cited
1
SLC45A4 is a selective plasma membrane polyamine transporter enriched in sensory neurons; mice lacking SLC45A4 show reduced noxious heat pain sensitivity due to decreased C-polymodal nociceptor excitability
PMID: 40836097
2
GWAS identified SLC45A4 variants associated with chronic pain intensity; SLC45A4 knockout mice show reduced sensitivity to heat and algogen-induced tonic pain
PMID: 41031034
3
SLC45A4 is overexpressed in ovarian cancer and promotes glycolytic metabolic reprogramming; elevated expression correlates with adverse clinical outcomes
PMID: 39363015
4
SLC45A4 is overexpressed in TP53 mutant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; knockdown reduces glucose uptake and activates autophagy via AMPK/ULK1 pathway
PMID: 34010493
5
SLC45A4 localizes to peroxisomal membranes and functions as a putrescine transporter that promotes GABA de novo synthesis
PMID: 41266324
Disease Associationsⓘ20
Abnormality of the skeletal systemOpen Targets
0.39Weak
Lower limb painOpen Targets
0.28Weak
diabetes mellitusOpen Targets
0.27Weak
tooth diseaseOpen Targets
0.25Weak
Abnormality of refractionOpen Targets
0.22Weak
placental retentionOpen Targets
0.22Weak
smoking initiationOpen Targets
0.16Weak
Patent ductus arteriosusOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
atrial fibrillationOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Dupuytren ContractureOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Increased blood pressureOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
cardiac arrhythmiaOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
hypertensionOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
heart diseaseOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
coronary artery diseaseOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
coronary atherosclerosisOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
aortic valve diseaseOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
arthritisOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
response to xenobiotic stimulusOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
ATP13A3Shared pathway33%NIPSNAP1Shared pathway20%PDYNShared pathway20%SLC18B1Shared pathway17%ATP13A5Shared pathway14%ATP13A4Shared pathway14%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Lung
100%
Heart
92%
Bone Marrow
76%
Brain
72%
Ovary
48%
Liver
12%
Gene Interaction Network
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SLC45A4ATP13A3NIPSNAP1PDYNSLC18B1ATP13A5ATP13A4
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB9GIU · 2.80 Å · EM
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.68LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.51 [0.38–0.68]
RankingsWhere SLC45A4 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #14,811of 20,598
    Most Researched18
  • #5,125of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.68
Genes detectedSLC45A4
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
SLC45A4 is a pain gene encoding a neuronal polyamine transporter.
PMID: 40836097
Nature · 2025
1.00
2
Identification of SLC45A4 as a pain gene encoding a neuronal polyamine transporter.
PMID: 41031034
bioRxiv · 2024
0.90
3
Machine-learning-guided discovery of SLC25A45 as a mediator of mitochondrial methylated amino acid import and carnitine synthesis.
PMID: 41075780
Cell Metab · 2025
0.80
4
SLC45A4 is involved in malignant progression of ovarian cancer through glycolytic metabolic reprogramming.
PMID: 39363015
Sci Rep · 2024
0.70
5
SLC45A4 promotes glycolysis and prevents AMPK/ULK1-induced autophagy in TP53 mutant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
PMID: 34010493
J Gene Med · 2021
0.60