Characterization of L-arginine transport in adrenal cells: Effect of ACTH

REPETTO EM; PANNUNZIO V; ASTORT F; MARTINEZ CALEJMAN C; BESIO MORENO M; PIGNATARO O; CYMERYNG CB

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-ENDOCRINOLOGY AND METABOLISM

AMER PHYSIOLOGICAL SOC

Año: 2006 vol. 291 p. 291 - 297

0193-1849

Nitric oxide synthesis depends on the availability of its precursor L-arginine, which could be regulated by the presence of a specific uptake system. In the present report, the characterization of the L-arginine transport system in mouse adrenal Y1 cells was performed. L-arginine transport was mediated by the cationic/neutral amino acid transport system y L and the cationic amino acid transporter (CAT) y in Y1 cells. These Na -independent transporters were identified by their selectivity for neutral amino acids in both the presence and absence of Na and by the effect of N-ethylmaleimide. Transport data correlated to expression of genes encoding for CAT-1, CAT-2, CD-98, and y LAT-2. A similar expression profile was detected in rat adrenal zona fasciculata. In addition, cationic amino acid uptake in Y1 cells was upregulated by ACTH and/or cAMP with a concomitant increase in nitric oxide (NO) production.