A proposed role for glutamine in cancer cell growth through acid resistance
Dear Editor,
Cancer cells exhibit a greatly increased level of aerobic glycolysis with accumulation of lactic acid,a phenomenon known as the Warburg effect.Apparently,survival of cancer cells requires an elaborate system for acid resistance.L-glutamine (Gln) has long been known to be essential for cancer cell growth,which is generally thought to relate to the nutritional value of Gln as carbon and nitrogen source.On the basis of our recent finding that Gln provides acid resistance for E.coli through release of ammonia,we hypothesized that the primary role of Gln in cancer cells is to fight acid,rather than provide nutrition,through enzymatic deamidation.In this letter,we provide preliminary experimental evidence that supports this hypothesis.We demonstrate that Gln helps cancer cells survive acidic stress,which is compromised by inhibition of specific glutaminase activity.Our data suggests that glutaminase inhibitors,currently under clinical trials as an anti-cancer drug,may work by countering the ability of cancer cells to survive under acidic environment.We further speculate that the general requirement of Gln in cell culture is also due to its crucial role in acid resistance.
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the Ministry of Science and Technology of China2009CB918801;the National Natural Science Foundation of China31130002,31021002,and 30888001;Beijing Municipal Commissions of Education and Science and Technology
2013-07-01（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）
共4页
724-727
