title: Requirement for glutamine in the expression of alpha-actin and type IV collagen in mesangial cells.
abstract: The importance of glutamine for the synthesis of proteins of the extracellular matrix was investigated in cultured mesangial cells. Glutamine at 2 mM elicited an increase in smooth muscle cell alpha-actin, alpha(1)-type IV collagen and fibronectin transcripts (19.0-, 16.7-, and 4.3-fold, respectively) accompanied by an increase in alpha-actin stress fibres compared to cells grown in absence of glutamine. The specificity for the glutamine requirement is suggested by the fact that mRNA levels of tenascin were not altered by addition of glutamine. This suggests that glutamine is required for the expression of important proteins of the extracellular matrix in cultured mesangial cells.
authors.affiliation: Camilo Castelo Branco University, São Paulo, and Methodist University of Piracicaba-FACIS, Brazil. tcuri@fisio.icb.usp.br
authors.forename: Tania C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Pithon-Curi
authors.forename: Donald F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Sellitti
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Curi
authors.forename: Marcos M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Przemyslaw
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hirszel
authors.forename: Sonia Q
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Doi
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D024141:Collagen Type IV / Q000378:metabolism*; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000187:drug effects; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D005973:Glutamine / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D050527:Mesangial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D019063:Tenascin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D024141:Collagen Type IV; D005353:Fibronectins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019063:Tenascin; D005973:Glutamine