Expression and function of variants of human catecholamine transporters lacking the fifth transmembrane region encoded by exon 6.

Background: The transporters for dopamine (DAT) and norepinephrine (NET) are members of the Na+- and Cl--dependent neurotransmitter transporter family SLC6. There is a line of evidence that alternative splicing results in several isoforms of neurotransmitter transporters including NET. However, its relevance to the physiology and pathology of the neurotransmitter reuptake system has not been fully elucidated.