Glutamine as an Essential Amino Acid for KRas-Driven Cancer Cells

Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2019 Jun;30(6):357-368. doi: 10.1016/j.tem.2019.03.003. Epub 2019 Apr 27.

Abstract

Cancer cells consume glutamine, a nonessential amino acid (NEAA), at exceedingly high rates to fulfill their energetic and biosynthetic requirements for proliferation. Glutamine plays distinct roles from essential amino acids in cell cycle progression and in the activation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Furthermore, the need of cancer cells for glutamine can be exploited therapeutically - especially those driven by KRas. In this review we explore several distinct cellular roles for glutamine that contribute to glutamine addiction in KRas-driven cancer cells and discuss opportunities for therapeutic intervention created by glutamine addiction.

Keywords: KRas; aspartate; cell cycle; glutamine; mTOR.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acids, Essential / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Glutamine / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Neoplasms / genetics
  • Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / metabolism*
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism

Substances

  • Amino Acids, Essential
  • KRAS protein, human
  • Glutamine
  • MTOR protein, human
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)