Iacobazzi Vito, Infantino Vittoria
Biol Chem. 2014 Apr;395(4):387-99. doi: 10.1515/hsz-2013-0271.
Citrate is an important substrate in cellular energy metabolism. It is produced in the mitochondria and used in the Krebs cycle or released into cytoplasm through a specific mitochondrial carrier, CIC. In the cytosol, citrate and its derivatives, acetyl-CoA and oxaloacetate, are used in normal and pathological processes. Beyond the classical role as metabolic regulator, recent studies have highlighted that citrate is involved in inflammation, cancer, insulin secretion, histone acetylation, neurological disorders, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Monitoring changes in the citrate levels could therefore potentially be used as diagnostic tool. This review highlights these new aspects of citrate functions.
柠檬酸是细胞能量代谢中的一种重要底物。它在线粒体中产生，用于三羧酸循环，或通过特定的线粒体载体CIC释放到细胞质中。在细胞质中，柠檬酸及其衍生物乙酰辅酶A和草酰乙酸用于正常和病理过程。除了作为代谢调节剂的经典作用外，最近的研究强调柠檬酸还参与炎症、癌症、胰岛素分泌、组蛋白乙酰化、神经紊乱和非酒精性脂肪肝病。因此，监测柠檬酸水平的变化有可能用作诊断工具。本综述重点介绍了柠檬酸功能的这些新方面。
