Supporting Aspartate Biosynthesis Is an Essential Function of Respiration in Proliferating Cells.

ABSTRACT: Mitochondrial respiration is important for cell proliferation; however, the specific metabolic requirements fulfilled by respiration to support proliferation have not been defined. Here, we show that a major role of respiration in proliferating cells is to provide electron acceptors for aspartate synthesis. This finding is consistent with the observation that cells lacking a functional respiratory chain are auxotrophic for pyruvate, which serves as an exogenous electron acceptor. Further, the pyruvate requirement can be fulfilled with an alternative electron acceptor, alpha-ketobutyrate, which provides cells neither carbon nor ATP. Alpha-ketobutyrate restores proliferation when respiration is inhibited, suggesting that an alternative electron acceptor can substitute for respiration to supp

SUBMITTER: Sullivan LB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4522278 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature