Figures & data
Figure 1. Glutamine transport and metabolism as therapeutic targets in MM cells.
A distinctive Gln metabolism characterizes MM cells: they express GLS but lack a sizable expression of GS. MM cells express three major transporters for Gln: ASCT2, LAT1, and SNAT1. After Gln uptake, MM cells may use Gln for multiple metabolic roles. One of these roles is anaplerosis. Gln transport and metabolism can be targeted with different approaches exploitable for therapeutic use: extracellular Gln can be depleted by L-asparaginase, while the activity of Gln transporters can be hindered with inhibitors or gene silencing; finally, CB-839 and BPTES can be used to block GLS activity.
AcCoA: Acetyl coenzyme A; α-KG: alpha-ketoglutarate; BCH: 2-Amino-2-norbornanecarboxylic acid; BPTES: Bis-2-(5-phenylacetamido-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl) ethyl sulfide; EAA: essential amino acid; GDH: glutamate dehydrogenase; Gln: glutamine; GLS: glutaminase; Glu: glutamate; GPNA: l-γ-glutamyl-p-nitroanilide; GSH: glutathione; MeAIB: methylaminoisobutyrate; mTOR: mammalian target of rapamycin; NEAA: non-essential amino acid; OAA: oxaloacetate.
Table 1. Glutamine transporters found operative in MM cells.
