Unlocking the secrets to human NTCP structure
The cryoelectron microscopy structures of NTCP
Sodium taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP) is encoded by the SLC10A1 (solute carrier family 10 member 1) gene and predominantly expressed on the sinusoidal membrane of hepatocytes with the function of hepatic uptake of bile salt, steroid hormones, thyroid hormones, and various bile acidconjugated drugs. Almost ten years ago, NTCP was identified as a functional cellular entry receptor of hepatitis B and hepatitis D virus (HBV/HDV), which are among the major etiological factors leading to cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma, and affect around 250 million people worldwide.
