title: Molecular mechanisms of glutamine action.
abstract: Glutamine is the most abundant free amino acid in the body and is known to play a regulatory role in several cell specific processes including metabolism (e.g., oxidative fuel, gluconeogenic precursor, and lipogenic precursor), cell integrity (apoptosis, cell proliferation), protein synthesis, and degradation, contractile protein mass, redox potential, respiratory burst, insulin resistance, insulin secretion, and extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis. Glutamine has been shown to regulate the expression of many genes related to metabolism, signal transduction, cell defense and repair, and to activate intracellular signaling pathways. Thus, the function of glutamine goes beyond that of a simple metabolic fuel or protein precursor as previously assumed. In this review, we have attempted to identify some of the common mechanisms underlying the regulation of glutamine dependent cellular functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. ruicuri@icb.usp.br
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Curi
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lagranha
authors.forename: S Q
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Doi
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Sellitti
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Procopio
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Pithon-Curi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Corless
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Newsholme
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D002468:Cell Physiological Phenomena; D002477:Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005973:Glutamine / Q000502:physiology*; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D007328:Insulin; D011506:Proteins; D005973:Glutamine