The cationic amino acid transporters CAT1 and CAT3 mediate NMDA receptor activation-dependent changes in elaboration of neuronal processes via the mammalian target of rapamycin mTOR pathway.

Yunfei Huang, Bingnan N Kang, Jing Tian, Yi Liu, Hongbo R Luo, Lynda Hester, Solomon H Snyder

Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 2007 Jan 17

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Neuronal activity influences protein synthesis and neuronal growth. Availability of nutrients, especially leucine and arginine, regulates the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway that controls cell growth. We show that NMDA receptor activation markedly reduces arginine transport by decreasing surface expression of the cationic amino acid transporters (CAT) 1 and 3. Depletion of CAT1 and CAT3 by RNA interference blocks influences of NMDA receptor activation on the mTOR pathway and neuronal process formation. Thus, the CATs mediate influences of NMDA receptor activation on the mTOR pathway that regulates neuronal processes.

Citation

Yunfei Huang, Bingnan N Kang, Jing Tian, Yi Liu, Hongbo R Luo, Lynda Hester, Solomon H Snyder. The cationic amino acid transporters CAT1 and CAT3 mediate NMDA receptor activation-dependent changes in elaboration of neuronal processes via the mammalian target of rapamycin mTOR pathway. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. 2007 Jan 17;27(3):449-58