Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 24, 2025

Isolation of Primary Mouse Hepatocytes for Nascent Protein Synthesis Analysis by Non-radioactive L-azidohomoalanine Labeling Method
Published on: October 23, 2018
A selectively suppressing amino acid transporter: Sodium-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2 inhibits cell
Lingyu Zhang1,2,3, Yehui Duan1,2, Qiuping Guo1,2,3
1Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutritional Physiology and Metabolic Process, Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Hunan Provincial Engineering Research Center for Healthy Livestock and Poultry Production, National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha, Hunan 410125, China.
Abstract:
Sodium-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2 (SNAT2), also known as solute carrier family 38 member 2 (SLC38A2), is expressed in the skeletal muscle. Our research previously indicated that SNAT2 mRNA expression level in the skeletal muscle was modulated by genotype and dietary protein. The aim of this study was to investigate the key role of the amino acid transporter SNAT2 in muscle cell growth, differentiation, and related signaling pathways via SNAT2 suppression using the inhibitor α-methylaminoisobutyric acid (MeAIB). The results showed that SNAT2 suppression down-regulated both the mRNA and protein expression levels of SNAT2 in C2C12 cells, inhibited cell viability and differentiation of the cell, and regulated the cell distribution in G0/G1 and S phases (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, most of the intercellular amino acid content of the cells after MeAIB co-culturing was significantly lower (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the mRNA expression levels of system L amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1), silent information regulator 1, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma co-activator 1 alpha, as well as the protein expression levels of amino acid transporters LAT1 and vacuolar protein sorting 34, were all down-regulated. The phosphorylated protein expression levels of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), regulatory-associated protein of mTOR, 4E binding protein 1, and ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1 after MeAIB treatment were also significantly down-regulated (P < 0.05), which could contribute to the importance of SNAT2 in amino acid transportation and skeletal muscle cell sensing. In conclusion, SNAT2 suppression inhibited C2C12 cell growth and differentiation, as well as the availability of free amino acids. Although the mTOR complex 1 signaling pathway was found to be involved, its response to different nutrients requires further study.
Related Concept Videos
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway
Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation
Abnormal Proliferation
Inhibition of Cdk Activity
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...

