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

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 y+ in Y1 cells. These Na+ independent transporters were identified by their  selectivity for neutral amino acids both in 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 ZF. 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.