title: Protein characterization of NA+-independent system L amino acid transporter 3 in mice: a potential role in supply of branched-chain amino acids under nutrient starvation.
abstract: We recently cloned the human Na(+)-independent system L neutral amino acid transporter LAT3. The aim of the present study was to characterize the molecular nature of mouse LAT3 at the protein level. Isolated mouse LAT3 showed 83% identity to human LAT3. Xenopus oocytes injected with mouse LAT3 cRNA showed the same functional property as human LAT3. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction revealed apparent transcripts of mouse LAT3 in the liver, skeletal muscle, and pancreas, an expression pattern identical to that found in humans. Antibody generated against mouse LAT3 detected both approximately 58-kd and 48-kd bands in the sample from liver and only a 48-kd band in skeletal muscle and pancreas. Immunohistochemical study showed its clear localization in the plasma membrane of liver and skeletal muscle, whereas it was only detectable in the endoplasmic reticulum and in crystalline inclusions in pancreatic acinar cells. Starvation induced up-regulation of mouse LAT3 protein and mRNA in both liver and skeletal muscle but not in pancreas. These results suggest that LAT3 may indeed function as an amino acid transporter, transporting branched-chain amino acids from liver and skeletal muscle to the bloodstream and thereby participating in the regulatory system of interorgan amino acid nutrition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8611, Japan. kuniyan@kyorin-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fukuhara
authors.forename: Yoshikatsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kanai
authors.forename: Arthit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chairoungdua
authors.forename: Ellappan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Babu
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bessho
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawano
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akimoto
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Endou
authors.forename: Kunimasa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yan
mesh_terms: D026923:Amino Acid Transport Systems, Basic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013217:Starvation / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D026923:Amino Acid Transport Systems, Basic; D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain