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1: Biochem J. 1999 Jun 1;340 ( Pt 2):549-53.Click here to read Click here to read Links

CAT2-mediated L-arginine transport and nitric oxide production in activated macrophages.

Kakuda DK, Sweet MJ, Mac Leod CL, Hume DA, Markovich D.

Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia.

Activated macrophages require l-arginine uptake to sustain NO synthesis. Several transport systems could mediate this l-arginine influx. Using competition analysis and gene-expression studies, amino acid transport system y+ was identified as the major carrier responsible for this activity. To identify which of the four known y+ transport-system genes is involved in macrophage-induced l-arginine uptake, we used a hybrid-depletion study in Xenopus oocytes. Cationic amino acid transporter (CAT) 2 antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotides abolished the activated-macrophage-mRNA-induced l-arginine transport. Together with expression studies documenting that CAT2 mRNA and protein levels are elevated with increased l-arginine uptake, our data demonstrate that CAT2 mediates the l-arginine transport that is required for the raised NO production in activated J774 macrophages.

PMID: 10333501 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PMCID: PMC1220283