Glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) belongs to the major facilitator superfamily (MFS), one of the largest and most ubiquitous secondary transporter superfamilies. GLUT1, encoded by SLC2A1, mediates the basal-level cellular uptake of glucose into many tissues. GLUT1 contains 12 membrane-spanning domains with both the amino and carboxyl termini oriented intracellularly. In addition, a single extracellular N-linked glycosylation site is present¹.

GLUT1 is widely expressed, but it is most abundant in fibroblasts, erythrocytes, and endothelial cells with low levels of expression in muscle, liver, and adipose tissue².

Inactivating mutations of GLUT1, resulting in compromised transport activities for glucose, are associated with diseases as a result of lack of energy supply to the brain³. GLUT1 deficiency syndrome (also known as De Vivo syndrome) is characterized by a spectrum of symptoms including early-onset seizures, microcephaly and retarded development⁴. In addition, elevated expression levels of GLUT1 have been observed in several cancer types, identifying GLUT1 as an important prognostic indicator for tumorigenesis⁵.