Xu Tingting, Zhang Xiaoshi, Chen Qingqing, Yang Cheng, Deng Bo, Armstrong David G, Rui Shunli, Zhou Yueqin, Deng Wuquan
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, School of Medicine, Chongqing University Central Hospital, Chongqing Emergency Medical Centre, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China.
Department of Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
Front Nutr. 2025 May 21;12:1467057. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1467057. eCollection 2025.
Amino acids are fundamental components of all living cells, serving not only as the building blocks of proteins but also as crucial sources of energy and precursors to key metabolites and signaling molecules. Amino acid transporters, specialized membrane proteins, facilitate the movement of amino acids across plasma membranes and between various cells and organ compartments. The malfunction, absence, or overexpression of specific amino acid transporters is linked to several human diseases. Among the extensive family of solute carrier proteins (SLCs), which comprises 458 transporters, the SLC7 transporter family, inclusive of CATs (Cationic Amino Acid Transporters) and LATs (L-type Amino Acid Transporters), is particularly instrumental in cellular amino acid uptake. Disruptions in amino acid transport can lead to significant metabolic abnormalities in diabetes, characterized by impaired insulin signaling and altered glucose metabolism. A deeper understanding of amino acid transporters' roles in metabolic processes and insulin signaling could shed light on the pathogenesis of diabetes and unveil novel therapeutic targets for this pervasive metabolic syndrome.
氨基酸是所有活细胞的基本组成部分，不仅作为蛋白质的构建模块，还作为关键的能量来源以及关键代谢物和信号分子的前体。氨基酸转运蛋白是一类特殊的膜蛋白，它促进氨基酸穿过质膜以及在各种细胞和细胞器隔室之间移动。特定氨基酸转运蛋白的功能异常、缺失或过表达与多种人类疾病相关。在包含458种转运蛋白的庞大溶质载体蛋白（SLC）家族中，SLC7转运蛋白家族，包括阳离子氨基酸转运体（CATs）和L型氨基酸转运体（LATs），在细胞摄取氨基酸过程中发挥着尤为重要的作用。氨基酸转运的紊乱会导致糖尿病中显著的代谢异常，其特征为胰岛素信号受损和葡萄糖代谢改变。深入了解氨基酸转运蛋白在代谢过程和胰岛素信号传导中的作用，可能有助于揭示糖尿病的发病机制，并为这种普遍存在的代谢综合征揭示新的治疗靶点。
