Neutral amino acid transport in cultivated human skin fibrovlasts (38521)

The accumulation of neutral amino acids was studied in cultivated human skin fibroblasts. Transport was blocked by sulfhydryl binding agents, but proceeded without inhibition in the presence of metabolic blocking agents. Both sodium dependent and sodium independent compononets of neutral amino acid accumulation were found. The sodium dependent component preferentially transports short chain amino acids, while the sodium independent system transports long chain amino acids. These components operate simultaneously and with overlap of substrate specificity. Both may function as parts of a single neutral amino acid transport system.