Amino acid transporters and metabolic pools

Amino acid transporters and metabolic pools refer to the integrated system of membrane proteins and the resulting intracellular concentrations of amino acids necessary for cellular function (Reactome, R-HSA-352230). This system primarily involves the Solute Carrier (SLC) superfamily, including families such as SLC1 (glutamate/neutral amino acid transporters), SLC7 (cationic/neutral amino acid transporters), and SLC38 (sodium-coupled neutral amino acid transporters) (UniProt, 2023). These transporters are essential for maintaining the metabolic pools required for protein synthesis, ATP production, and the regulation of the mTORC1 signaling pathway, which senses nutrient availability (PubMed, 25903029). In pathological states like cancer, these transporters are often overexpressed to sustain rapid cell proliferation and metabolic reprogramming, a phenomenon known as "amino acid addiction" (Nature Reviews Cancer, 2017). Therapeutic strategies involve small molecule inhibitors like JPH203 (targeting LAT1/SLC7A5) and V-9302 (targeting ASCT2/SLC1A5) to starve cells of critical nutrients (Clinical Cancer Research, 2020). However, because these transporters are ubiquitously expressed and vital for physiological processes like neurotransmitter precursor transport, drug development faces challenges regarding systemic toxicity and blood-brain barrier integrity (PubMed, 30122537).

Other names

Amino acid transportSLC-mediated amino acid transportMetabolic amino acid poolsAmino acid homeostasis

Inhibition of specific solute carrier (SLC) transporters to disrupt amino acid uptake and metabolic homeostasis, thereby inhibiting mTOR signaling and protein synthesis.