A molecule of extracellular glycocholate or taurocholate is transported into the cytosol, mediated by OATP-C (SLCO1B1) in the plasma membrane. Glyco- and taurocholate exist in the blood as complexes with serum albumin, and its uptake by OATP-C must involve disruption of this complex, but the molecular mechanism coupling disruption and uptake is unknown. In the body, OATP-C is expressed on the basolateral surfaces of hepatocytes and may play a role in the uptake of glyco- and taurocholate by the liver under physiological conditions (Kullak-Ublick et al. 2004; Trauner and Boyer 2002). [Kullak-Ublick et al 2004, Boyer & Trauner 2003]