Expression and functional characterization of the system l amino acid transporter in KB human oral epidermoid carcinoma cells

Yoon, Jung Hoon; Kim, Youn Bae; Kim, Myong Soo; Park, Joo Cheol; Kook, Joong Ki; Jung, Hae Man; Kim, Saeng Gon; Yoo, Hoon; Ko, Yeong Mu; Lee, Sang Ho; Kim, Bong Young; Chun, Hong Sung; Kanai, Yoshikatsu; Endou, Hitoshi; Kim, Do Kyung

doi:10.1016/j.canlet.2003.10.009

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Volume 205, Issue 2 , Pages 215-226, 18 March 2004

Expression and functional characterization of the system l amino acid transporter in KB human oral epidermoid carcinoma cells

Jung Hoon Yoon
- Oral Biology Research Institute, Chosun University College of Dentistry, 375 Seosuk-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-759, South Korea
Youn Bae Kim
- Oral Biology Research Institute, Chosun University College of Dentistry, 375 Seosuk-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-759, South Korea
Myong Soo Kim
- Oral Biology Research Institute, Chosun University College of Dentistry, 375 Seosuk-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-759, South Korea
Joo Cheol Park
- Oral Biology Research Institute, Chosun University College of Dentistry, 375 Seosuk-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-759, South Korea
Joong Ki Kook
- Oral Biology Research Institute, Chosun University College of Dentistry, 375 Seosuk-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-759, South Korea
Hae Man Jung
- Oral Biology Research Institute, Chosun University College of Dentistry, 375 Seosuk-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-759, South Korea
Saeng Gon Kim
- Oral Biology Research Institute, Chosun University College of Dentistry, 375 Seosuk-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-759, South Korea
Hoon Yoo
- Oral Biology Research Institute, Chosun University College of Dentistry, 375 Seosuk-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-759, South Korea
Yeong Mu Ko
- Oral Biology Research Institute, Chosun University College of Dentistry, 375 Seosuk-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-759, South Korea
Sang Ho Lee
- Oral Biology Research Institute, Chosun University College of Dentistry, 375 Seosuk-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-759, South Korea
Bong Young Kim
- Department of Pathology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 136-705, South Korea
Hong Sung Chun
- Division of Biological Science, Chosun University, Gwangju 501-759, South Korea
Yoshikatsu Kanai
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Kyorin University School of Medicine, 6-20-2 Shinkawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8611, Japan
Hitoshi Endou
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Kyorin University School of Medicine, 6-20-2 Shinkawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8611, Japan
Do Kyung Kim
- Oral Biology Research Institute, Chosun University College of Dentistry, 375 Seosuk-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-759, South Korea
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +82-62-230-6893; fax: +82-62-223-3205

Received 9 March 2003; received in revised form 2 September 2003; accepted 3 October 2003.

Abstract

We have examined the expression and function of system l amino acid transporter in KB human oral epidermoid carcinoma cells. The KB cells express l-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) in plasma membrane, but not l-type amino acid transporter 2 (LAT2). The [¹⁴C]l-leucine uptake by KB cells is inhibited by system l selective inhibitor BCH. The majority of [¹⁴C]l-leucine uptake is, therefore, mediated by LAT1. These results suggest that the transport of neutral amino acids including several essential amino acids into the KB cells mediated by LAT1 and the specific inhibition of LAT1 in oral cancer cells will be a new rationale for anti-cancer therapy.

Keywords: l-Type amino acid transporter, KB human oral epidermoid carcinoma cells, Essential amino acids, Anti-cancer therapy

Abbreviations: LAT1, l-type amino acid transporter 1, LAT2, l-type amino acid transporter 2, 4F2hc, 4F2 heavy chain, BCH, 2-aminobicyclo-(2,2,1)-heptane-2-carboxylic acid