Analysis of glutamine accumulation in rat brain mitochondria in the presence of a glutamine uptake inhibitor, histidine, reveals glutamine pools with a distinct access to deamidation.

Rat cerebral nonsynaptic mitochondria were incubated in medium containing 2 mM glutamine (Gln) or 2 mM glutamate (Glu), in the presence of a Gln uptake inhibitor histidine (His) as well as other basic amino acids, lysine and arginine (Lys, Arg) not inhibiting Gln uptake. Subsequently, the mitochondrial contents of Glu and Gln were determined by HPLC. Incubation in the presence of Glu alone increased the Glu content from approximately 3.5 to 15 nmol/mg protein, without affecting the Gln content. On the other hand, incubation with Gln increased the content of Gln from approximately 1.5 to approximately 12 nmol/mg, and that of Glu to 10 nmol/mg. As expected, addition of His did not alter the Glu and Gln content resulting from incubation with Glu. However, His significantly decreased to almost the preincubation level the content of Glu in mitochondria incubated with Gln, without affecting the content of Gln. No other amino acid had any effect on these parameters. The results point to the existence of distinct Gln pools, one of which is accessible to external Gln via a His-sensitive transporter and is accessible for deamidation in the mitochondria.