Role of Amino Acid Transporter SNAT1/SLC38A1 in Human Melanoma

Böhme-Schäfer I, Lörentz S, Boßerhoff AK (2022)


Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2022

Journal

Book Volume: 14

Article Number: 2151

Journal Issue: 9

DOI: 10.3390/cancers14092151

Abstract

The tumor metabolism is an important driver of cancer cell survival and growth, as rapidly dividing tumor cells exhibit a high demand for energetic sources and must adapt to microenviron-mental changes. Therefore, metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells and the associated deregulation of nutrient transporters are a hallmark of cancer cells. Amino acids are essential for cancer cells to synthesize the necessary amount of protein, DNA, and RNA. Although cancer cells can synthesize glutamine de novo, most cancer cells show an increased uptake of glutamine from the tumor microen-vironment. Especially SNAT1/SLC38A1, a member of the sodium neutral amino acid transporter (SNAT) family, plays an essential role during major net import of glutamine. In this study, we revealed a significant upregulation of SNAT1 expression in human melanoma tissue in comparison to healthy epidermis and an increased SNAT1 expression level in human melanoma cell lines when compared to normal human melanocytes (NHEMs). We demonstrated that functional inhibition of SNAT1 with α-(methylamino) isobutyric acid (MeAIB), as well as siRNA-mediated downregulation reduces cancer cell growth, cellular migration, invasion, and leads to induction of senescence in melanoma cells. Consequently, these results demonstrate that the amino acid transporter SNAT1 is essential for cancer growth, and indicates a potential target for cancer chemotherapy.

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How to cite

APA:

Böhme-Schäfer, I., Lörentz, S., & Boßerhoff, A.K. (2022). Role of Amino Acid Transporter SNAT1/SLC38A1 in Human Melanoma. Cancers, 14(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14092151

MLA:

Böhme-Schäfer, Ines, Sandra Lörentz, and Anja Katrin Boßerhoff. "Role of Amino Acid Transporter SNAT1/SLC38A1 in Human Melanoma." Cancers 14.9 (2022).

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