BACKGROUND: Neutral dietary amino acids, such as alanine, are transported across the gut lumen by both Na(+)-dependent (System B) and Na(+)-independent (System L) carriers, but the nature of the acute phase of substrate-induced uptake is unknown. This study examined the effects of acute amino acid substrate exposure on the rapid modulation of apical membrane alanine transport in cultured human intestinal cells. METHODS: System B and System L transport activity kinetics, as well as ATB(0) mRNA levels, were measured in confluent Caco-2 monolayers treated with various metabolic agents during short-term and extended time periods. RESULTS: Depleting the incubation medium of alanine attenuated both System B and System L uptake activities within 30 mins, with a complete return to baseline values within 3 h. Extracellular alanine added to depleted Caco-2 cells rapidly (within 5 min) increased alanine transport activities. Kinetic analysis showed that acute alanine exposure increased both K(m) and V(max) of each transport system, indicative of a trans-stimulation effect. Augmenting intracellular alanine levels using the cytosolic alanine aminotransferase inhibitor, aminooxyacetic acid, increased alanine uptake activity. Acute exposure to other substrates of Systems B and L also increased the uptake of alanine, while nonsubstrates did not affect alanine uptake. Cycloheximide or actinomycin did not affect substrate acute activation of System B, and the steady-state level of ATB(0) mRNA was not altered by amino acid exposure. CONCLUSION: Increasing alanine availability to intestinal cells, by either exogenous substrate exposure or inhibition of intracellular catabolism, acutely and reversibly increases apical membrane alanine transport activity via a posttranslation trans-stimulation mechanism.
BACKGROUND: Neutral dietary amino acids, such as alanine, are transported across the gut lumen by both Na(+)-dependent (System B) and Na(+)-independent (System L) carriers, but the nature of the acute phase of substrate-induced uptake is unknown. This study examined the effects of acute amino acid substrate exposure on the rapid modulation of apical membrane alanine transport in cultured human intestinal cells. METHODS: System B and System L transport activity kinetics, as well as ATB(0) mRNA levels, were measured in confluent Caco-2 monolayers treated with various metabolic agents during short-term and extended time periods. RESULTS: Depleting the incubation medium of alanine attenuated both System B and System L uptake activities within 30 mins, with a complete return to baseline values within 3 h. Extracellular alanine added to depleted Caco-2 cells rapidly (within 5 min) increased alanine transport activities. Kinetic analysis showed that acute alanine exposure increased both K(m) and V(max) of each transport system, indicative of a trans-stimulation effect. Augmenting intracellular alanine levels using the cytosolic alanine aminotransferase inhibitor, aminooxyacetic acid, increased alanine uptake activity. Acute exposure to other substrates of Systems B and L also increased the uptake of alanine, while nonsubstrates did not affect alanine uptake. Cycloheximide or actinomycin did not affect substrate acute activation of System B, and the steady-state level of ATB(0) mRNA was not altered by amino acid exposure. CONCLUSION: Increasing alanine availability to intestinal cells, by either exogenous substrate exposure or inhibition of intracellular catabolism, acutely and reversibly increases apical membrane alanine transport activity via a posttranslation trans-stimulation mechanism.
Authors: Paulus G M Jochems; Johan Garssen; Antonius M van Keulen; Rosalinde Masereeuw; Prescilla V Jeurink Journal: Nutrients Date: 2018-03-07 Impact factor: 5.717