Effect of riboflavin deficiency on development of the cerebral cortex in Slc52a3 knockout mice.

Riboflavin transporter 3 (RFVT3), encoded by the SLC52A3 gene, is important for riboflavin homeostasis in the small intestine, kidney, and placenta. Our previous study demonstrated that Slc52a3 knockout (Slc52a3-/-) mice exhibited neonatal lethality and metabolic disorder due to riboflavin deficiency. Here, we investigated the influence of Slc52a3 gene disruption on brain development using Slc52a3-/- embryos. Slc52a3-/- mice at postnatal day 0 showed hypoplasia of the brain and reduced thickness of cortical layers. At embryonic day 13.5, the formation of Tuj1+ neurons and Tbr2+ intermediate neural progenitors was significantly decreased; no significant difference was observed in the total number and proliferative rate of Pax6+ radial glia. Importantly, the hypoplastic phenotype was rescued upon riboflavin supplementation. Thus, it can be concluded that RFVT3 contributes to riboflavin homeostasis in embryos and that riboflavin itself is required during embryonic development of the cerebral cortex in mice.

Disruption of Slc52a3 gene causes neonatal lethality with riboflavin deficiency in mice.

Homeostasis of riboflavin should be maintained by transporters. Previous in vitro studies have elucidated basic information about riboflavin transporter RFVT3 encoded by SLC52A3 gene. However, the contribution of RFVT3 to the maintenance of riboflavin homeostasis and the significance in vivo remain unclear. Here, we investigated the physiological role of RFVT3 using Slc52a3 knockout (Slc52a3-/-) mice. Most Slc52a3-/- mice died with hyperlipidemia and hypoglycemia within 48 hr after birth. The plasma and tissue riboflavin concentrations in Slc52a3-/- mice at postnatal day 0 were dramatically lower than those in wild-type (WT) littermates. Slc52a3-/- fetuses showed a lower capacity of placental riboflavin transport compared with WT fetuses. Riboflavin supplement during pregnancy and after birth reduced neonatal death and metabolic disorders. To our knowledge, this is the first report to indicate that Rfvt3 contributes to placental riboflavin transport, and that disruption of Slc52a3 gene caused neonatal mortality with hyperlipidemia and hypoglycemia owing to riboflavin deficiency.

Impaired riboflavin transport due to missense mutations in SLC52A2 causes Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere syndrome.

Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere syndrome (BVVLS [MIM 211530]) is a rare neurological disorder characterized by infancy onset sensorineural deafness and ponto-bulbar palsy. Mutations in SLC52A3 (formerly C20orf54), coding for riboflavin transporter 2 (hRFT2), have been identified as the molecular genetic correlate in several individuals with BVVLS. Exome sequencing of just one single case revealed that compound heterozygosity for two pathogenic mutations in the SLC52A2 gene coding for riboflavin transporter 3 (hRFT3), another member of the riboflavin transporter family, is also associated with BVVLS. Overexpression studies confirmed that the gene products of both mutant alleles have reduced riboflavin transport activities. While mutations in SLC52A3 cause decreased plasma riboflavin levels, concordant with a role of SLC52A3 in riboflavin uptake from food, the SLC52A2-mutant individual had normal plasma riboflavin concentrations, a finding in line with a postulated function of SLC52A2 in riboflavin uptake from blood into target cells. Our results contribute to the understanding of human riboflavin metabolism and underscore its role in the pathogenesis of BVVLS, thereby providing a rational basis for a high-dose riboflavin treatment.

Identification and comparative functional characterization of a new human riboflavin transporter hRFT3 expressed in the brain.

We isolated cDNA coding a new human riboflavin transporter (hRFT)3, which exhibits 86.7 and 44.1% amino acid identity with hRFT1 and hRFT2, respectively. It was predicted to have 10 putative membrane-spanning domains. The functional characteristics of hRFT3 were examined and compared with those of its isoforms, hRFT1 and hRFT2. Real-time PCR revealed that hRFT3 mRNA was strongly expressed in the brain and salivary gland. hRFT1 mRNA was strongly expressed in the placenta and small intestine, whereas hRFT2 mRNA was most abundantly expressed in the testis and strongly in the small intestine and prostate. hRFT-mediated uptake of [3H]riboflavin was evaluated using human embryonic kidney 293 cells transiently transfected with the cDNA coding each hRFT. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constants of hRFT1, hRFT2, and hRFT3 for riboflavin were 1.38, 0.98, and 0.33 micromol/L, respectively. The hRFT-mediated [3H]riboflavin uptake was independent of extracellular Na+ and Cl(-). Specific uptake of [3H]riboflavin by hRFT2, but not hRFT1 and hRFT3, decreased as extracellular pH was changed from 5.4 to 8.4. The substrate specificities of the hRFT family were similar. hRFT-mediated uptake of [3H]riboflavin was inhibited by some riboflavin analogs, but not D-ribose, organic ions, or other vitamins. The newly isolated hRFT3 may play an important role in brain riboflavin homeostasis. Its amino acid sequence and functional characteristics are similar to those of hRFT1, but not hRFT2.