Y and Y L Arginine Transporters in Neuronal Cells Expressing Tyrosine
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Elsevier - Publisher Connector Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1745 (2005) 65–73 http://www.elsevier.com/locate/bba Y+ and y+L arginine transporters in neuronal cells expressing tyrosine hydroxylase S.Y. Bae, Q. Xu, D. Hutchinson, C.A. Colton* Division of Neurology, Box 2900, Bryan Research Bldg, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States Received 23 August 2004; received in revised form 28 December 2004; accepted 28 December 2004 Available online 25 February 2005 Abstract Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid that serves as sole substrate for enzymes involved in diverse cell processes including redox balance via nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and cell proliferation via arginase. Neurons that express nNOS require intracellular arginine to generate nitric oxide (NO). Using a TH+ neuronal cell line (CAD cells), we show that neuronal NO production is largely dependent on extracellular arginine. Although a small intracellular pool exists in CAD cells, the lack of mRNA for argininosuccinate synthase (AS), a rate limiting enzyme for arginine recycling, suggests that intracellular pools are not re-supplied by this mechanism in this sub-class of neurons. Rather, arginine is taken up from the extracellular media by two primary transport systems, the y+ and the y+L systems. The expression of CAT1, CAT3, y+LAT1 and y+LAT2 mRNAs supports the presence of each system. CAD cell arginine transport is depressed by increased extracellular K+ levels and demonstrates that variations in membrane potential control neuronal arginine uptake. Short term exposure to the oxidizing agents, rotenone and Angeli’s salt, but not FeSO4, increases arginine transport. The regulation of arginine uptake by physiological factors suggests that arginine supply adapts in a moment-to-moment fashion to the changing needs of the neuron. D 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Arginine transport; Neuronal nitric oxide synthase; Cationic amino acid transporter; Citrulline–NO cycle; Rotenone; Nitroxyl 1. Introduction in the CNS and are thought to be co-localized with arginine uptake mechanisms that provide arginine to intracellular Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid and is a key stores [3–6]. Arginine uptake has been reported in synapto- component of multiple biochemical pathways, including somes and in primary cultures of neurons, microglia and protein synthesis, the urea cycle, polyamine synthesis and astrocytes [7–14]. In addition, mRNA expression has been nitric oxide production. As a result, arginine is involved in observed in the brain for members of the cationic amino acid diverse cellular processes ranging from redox balance to cell transporter family (CAT1, CAT2B and CAT3) that generate cycle [1]. The impact of arginine metabolism on the y+ transport activity [3,15–17]. The y+ transport system is the physiological functions of a cell depends on the pattern of most common, specific uptake system for arginine in cells enzymes that utilize arginine at any one time and the and is one of at least 4 arginine transport systems, including intracellular availability of arginine mediated by arginine y+,L, B0,+ and the b0,+. The characterization and identifica- transport proteins. Not all cells are created equal in this tion of these systems are based on kinetics, dependence on regard and cell and tissue specific patterns of enzyme and Na+ and specificity for cationic amino acids [18,19]. The y+, transport protein expression and activity provide unique the y+,L and the b0,+ systems are Na+ independent while the functional profiles for arginine utilization [1,2]. B0,+ system is Na+ dependent. Nitric oxide synthase (NOS), arginase 1 (AGI) and The paucity of information on neuronal arginine uptake arginase II (AGII) are the primary enzymes that use arginine mechanisms prompted us to examine arginine uptake in a neuronal cell model that expresses both arginase I and II and * Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 919 668 2758; fax: +1 919 684 6514. nNOS. We have used the CAD cell line, a variant of a CNS E-mail address: [email protected] (C.A. Colton). monoaminergic neuronal cell line [20]. CAD cells undergo 0167-4889/$ - see front matter D 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.bbamcr.2004.12.006 66 S.Y. Bae et al. / Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1745 (2005) 65–73 morphological differentiation to resemble a CNS neuron buffer was then replaced with uptake buffer containing upon serum deprivation including the generation of long, various concentrations of l-arginine (from 3 AM to 1 mM) neuronal-like processes with varicosities typical of catecho- plus [3H] l-arginine (0.05 ACi/ml [3H] l-arginine per 10 AM laminergic neurons [21]. In addition, we have previously arginine specific activity). Uptake was followed for 4 min at shown that NO production can be accurately measured from 37 8C and stopped by washing with ice cold uptake buffer intact CAD cells, thus allowing us to examine the direct containing 10 mM TRIS, 10 mM HEPES and 137 mM NaCl relationship between extracellular arginine levels and NO at pH 7.4. Uptake time was pre-determined in separate production by nNOS [22]. Our data demonstrate that CAD control studies by measuring specific uptake as a function of cell NO production is dependent on extracellular arginine. time. Uptake for 4 min was chosen as the experimental time We also show that y+,L and y+ transport systems are the point and was within the linear region of the curve. Cells were predominant form of arginine uptake mechanisms. Further- then lysed in 1.0% Triton X-100 plus 0.05% NaN3 and more, the transport of arginine in this neuronal cell line is radioactivitymeasuredbyliquidscintillationcounting. altered by membrane potential and redox factors. Specific arginine uptake was determined from the difference between uptake at 4 8C (non-specific) and uptake at 37 8C (total uptake). At least 6 wells from 3 different culture groups 2. Methods were assayed and uptake values were normalized to Ag pro- tein/min. Data are presented as the average uptake in nmol/ 2.1. Materials mg protein/min (FS.E.) and significance was determined using an unpaired Students’ t test or ANOVAwith GraphPad Vinyl-l-NIO (N5-(1-imino-3-butenyl)-l-ornithine) (v-l- Prism 3.02 (GraphPad Software Inc., San Diego, CA). NIO) was purchased from Alexis Biochemicals (San Diego, To determine the Na+ dependence of the transport CA). N-Nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME), N-l- mechanisms and to differentiate between transport systems, monomethyl arginine (NMMA) and ferrous sulfate were the uptake buffer was modified. For certain experiments, purchased from Sigma Chemical Co. (St. Louis, MO). choline chloride (137 mM) replaced NaCl (Na+-free buffer) Ionomycin was purchased from Calbiochem-Novabiochem or 5 mM leucine or 5 mM alanine was added to either Na+- + Corp. (San Diego, CA). Angeli’s salt (Na2N2O3; sodium containing or Na -free uptake buffer. trioxodinitrate) was a generous gift of Dr. Jon Fukuto, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA. Stock solutions were dissolved in 9 M 2.4. RT-PCR NaOH and diluted into media at the appropriate concentration immediately prior to the pretreatment period. Rotenone Total RNA from differentiated CAD cells was extracted (Calbiochem Corp., San Diego CA) was dissolved into using the RNeasy Mini kit (Qiagen, Valencia, CA). For this 100% DMSO for storage at 4 8C and was diluted into normal process, 1 Ag of total RNA was treated with RQ1 DNase media immediately prior to the pretreatment of cells. (Promega Biosciences Inc., San Luis Obispo, CA) to remove DNA contamination and then reverse-transcribed using 2.2. CAD cell culture AMV transcriptase (Promega Biosciences Inc., San Luis Obispo, CA) and random primers. The reverse transcription CAD cells were generously provided by Dr. D. Chikar- reactions were incubated at room temperature for 10 min, and aishi, Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Med- then at 42 8C for 40 min. The transcriptase was subsequently ical Center, Durham NC. CAD cells were cultured in a inactivated by heating at 99 8C for 5 min and cooling to 4 8C humidified 5% CO2/95% air atmosphere at 37 8C in DMEM/ for 5 min. Samples lacking reverse-transcriptase were also F12 medium supplemented with 8% fetal bovine serum used to ensure that genomic DNA was not amplified in the (FBS) (Hyclone, Logan, UT) and 100 U/ml penicillin and PCR reaction. The resulting cDNA templates were then 100 Ag/ml streptomycin as described previously [21]. For the mixed with primer/probe sets (Table 1) for the murine experiments, cells were plated onto poly-d-lysine (mol. wt. cationic amino acid transporter 1gene (CAT1, also known as N300,000)-coated 24-well tissue culture plates at a density of SLC7A1), for a common sequence of both isoforms of the 5Â104 cells/well and cultured in the presence of serum until cationic amino acid transporter 2 gene (CAT2A and B, also confluent (usually 48 h). Once confluent, the cells were known as SLC7A2), the cationic amino acid transporter 3 placed into serum-free media for 15–24 h to differentiate. gene (CAT3, also known as SLC7A3), the arginase I gene (AGI), the arginase II gene (AGII), the nitric oxide synthase 1 2.3. Arginine uptake gene (NOS1), the argininosuccinate synthase (AS)and argininosuccinate lyase genes (AL), for the y+L-type amino Arginine uptake was measured essentially as described by acid transporter gene ( y+LAT1, also known as SLC7A7), for Nicholson et al. [23]. Immediately prior to the experiment, the y+ L-type amino acid transporter gene ( y+LAT2, also cells were pre-equilibrated for 30 min in an arginine-free known as SLC7A6) and for the brelated to b0,+ amino acid uptake buffer (137 mM NaCl, 5.4 mM KCl, 1.8 mM CaCl2, transportQ gene (rBAT, also known as SLC7A9) [22,23].