Expression of 3-Methylcrotonyl-CoA Carboxylase in Brain Tumors and Capability to Catabolize Leucine by Human Neural Cancer Cells.

ABSTRACT: Leucine is an essential, ketogenic amino acid with proteinogenic, metabolic, and signaling roles. It is readily imported from the bloodstream into the brain parenchyma. Therefore, it could serve as a putative substrate that is complementing glucose for sustaining the metabolic needs of brain tumor cells. Here, we investigated the ability of cultured human cancer cells to metabolize leucine. Indeed, cancer cells dispose of leucine from their environment and enrich their media with the metabolite 2-oxoisocaproate. The enrichment of the culture media with a high level of leucine stimulated the production of 3-hydroxybutyrate. When ¹³C₆-leucine was offered, it led to an increased appearance of the heavier citrate isotope with a molar mass greater by two units in the cultu

SUBMITTER: Gondas E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8833481 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature