title: Glutaminolysis yields a metabolic by-product that stimulates autophagy.
abstract: Autophagy is an intracellular degradative pathway that plays key roles in the homeostatic turnover of long-lived or damaged proteins and organelles, and in the survival of cells during starvation or other stressful conditions. We have uncovered an unexpected link between glutamine (Gln) metabolism and the regulation of autophagy. Our findings indicate that ammonia, generated from Gln deamination in mitochondria, functions as an autocrine- and/or paracrine-acting stimulator of autophagic flux.
authors: Center for Integrative Biology and Biotherapeutics, Pfizer, Pearl River, NY, USA. Christina.Eng@pfizer.com
authors: Christina H
authors: CH
authors: Eng
authors: Robert T
authors: RT
authors: Abraham
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000378:metabolism; D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005972:Glutaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D005973:Glutamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D005973:Glutamine; D000641:Ammonia; D005972:Glutaminase