0000000000393857
AUTHOR
Petra Gräf
Cationic Amino Acid Transporters (CATs)
When the transport properties of mCAT-1 were described in 1991, the y+ carrier and major transporter for cationic amino acids seemed to be discovered. Today, we know that there are at least three different CAT isoforms that mediate y+ activity and the family might be growing. In addition, transport systems for cationic amino acids other than y + have been described and proteins that induce the respective transport activities have been identified. Consequently, the transport of cationic amino acids appears to be a complex process involving many proteins— carriers and possibly also regulatory proteins—whose expression is cell-specific and dependent on a variety of external stimuli. The multit…
The transport activity of the human cationic amino acid transporter hCAT-1 is downregulated by activation of protein kinase C
1 The human cationic amino acid transporter hCAT-1 contains several consensus sequences for phosphorylation by protein kinase C (PKC). This study investigates the eAect of PKC activation on hCAT-1-mediated transport. 2 When expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, hCAT-1-mediated L-arginine transport was reduced to 44+3% after a 30 min treatment of the oocytes with 100 nM phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA). 4a-phorbol-12,13-didecanoate (4a-PDD, 100 nM) had no eAect. 3 In EA.hy926 endothelial cells, maximal inhibition of hCAT-1-mediated L-arginine transport (to 3‐11% of control) was observed after treatment of the cells with 100 nM PMA for 4 h. A 20‐30 h exposure of the cells to 100 nM PMA le…
Genetic and molecular analysis of six tumor suppressor genes in Drosophila melanogaster
Six Drosophila melanogaster tumor suppressor genes causing malignant or benign tumors in specific cell types are described. The wild-type alleles of these genes are instrumental in the differentiation of particular cell types. In the homozygous state, recessive mutations in the genes interrupt the differentiation of the cells and thus cause their uncontrolled, autonomous, lethal proliferation. The tumors show all major characteristics of malignant and benign neoplastic growth. Genomic sequences of four of the genes have been identified and are currently being characterized. ImagesFIGURE 1.FIGURE 2.FIGURE 2.
Two amino acid residues determine the low substrate affinity of human cationic amino acid transporter-2A.
Mammalian cationic amino acid transporters (CAT) differ in their substrate affinity and sensitivity to trans-stimulation. The apparent Km values for cationic amino acids and the sensitivity to trans-stimulation of CAT-1, -2B, and -3 are characteristic of system y+. In contrast, CAT-2A exhibits a 10-fold lower substrate affinity and is largely independent of substrate at the trans-side of the membrane. CAT-2A and -2B demonstrate such divergent transport properties, even though their amino acid sequences differ only in a stretch of 42 amino acids. Here, we identify two amino acid residues within this 42-amino acid domain of the human CAT-2A protein that are responsible for the apparent low af…