Glutamine-utilizing enzymes and transporters

Glutamine-utilizing enzymes and transporters constitute a critical metabolic network responsible for the cellular uptake and utilization of glutamine, the most abundant free amino acid in the human body (Source: PMID: 28614292). This group includes high-affinity transporters such as ASCT2 (SLC1A5) and LAT1 (SLC7A5), which facilitate glutamine entry into cells, and enzymes such as glutaminase (GLS), which initiates glutaminolysis by converting glutamine to glutamate (Source: PMID: 30135141). In many cancers, cells exhibit glutamine addiction, leveraging these pathways to support rapid proliferation, maintain redox homeostasis through glutathione synthesis, and provide nitrogen for nucleotide production (Source: NIH National Cancer Institute). Therapeutic strategies targeting this axis include small-molecule inhibitors of GLS, such as telaglenastat, and transport inhibitors like V-9302, aimed at disrupting the metabolic dependencies of cancer cells (Source: PMID: 29457761). Beyond oncology, these targets are also relevant in immune modulation and neurological disorders due to glutamine's role as a precursor for the neurotransmitter glutamate and its importance in T-cell activation (Source: PMID: 31704856).

Other names

Glutamine metabolism pathwayGlutaminolysis enzymesGlutamine transportersGlutamine amidotransferases

Inhibition of glutaminase (GLS) activity, blockade of glutamine uptake via ASCT2/SLC1A5, and competitive antagonism of glutamine-dependent amidotransferases.