Cited by 245Cancer, Hypoxia, and MetabolismAmino Acid Enzymes and MetabolismCancer, Lipids, and Metabolism

Glutaminolysis: Supplying carbon or nitrogen or both for cancer cells?

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Dang, Chi V.·2010·Cell Cycle

Abstract

A cancer cell comprising largely of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, nitrogen and sulfur requires not only glucose, which is avidly transported and converted to lactate by aerobic glycolysis or the Warburg effect, but also glutamine as a major substrate. Glutamine and essential amino acids, such as methionine, provide energy through the TCA cycle as well as nitrogen, sulfur and carbon skeletons for growing and proliferating cancer cells. The interplay between utilization of glutamine and glucose is likely to depend on the genetic make-up of a cancer cell. While the MYC oncogene induces both aerobic glycolysis and glutaminolysis, activated β-catenin induces glutamine synthesis in hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer cells that have elevated glutamine synthetase can use glutamate and ammonia to synthesize glutamine and are hence not addicted to glutamine. As such, cancer cells have many degrees of freedom for re-programming cell metabolism, which with better understanding will result in novel therapeutic approaches.

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  • Glutamine serves as an anaplerosis substrate to fuel the TCA cycle for energy generation and provides nitrogen for protein synthesis.

    “Glutamine serves as an anaplerosis substrate to fuel the TCA cycle for energy generation and also provides nitrogen for protein synthesis (Dang, 2010; Wise and Thompson, 2010; DeBerardinis and Cheng, 2010; Daye and Wellen, 2012; Gaglio et al., 2009; Johnson et al., 2003; Rajagopalan and DeBerardinis, 2011; Shanware et al., 2011; Weinberg et al., 2010).”

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Research works printed but not linked: 5

  1. Baggetto LG. Deviant energetic metabolism of glyco- lytic cancer cells. Biochimie 1992; 74:959-74.
  2. Dang CV. Rethinking the Warburg effect with Myc micromanaging glutamine metabolism. Cancer Res 2010; 70:859-62.
  3. Weinhouse S. Glycolysis, respiration and anoma- lous gene expression in experimental hepatomas: G.H.A. Clowes memorial lecture. Cancer Res 1972; 32:2007-16.
  4. Linder-Horowitz M, Knox WE, Morris HP. Glutaminase activities and growth rates of rat hepa- tomas. Cancer Res 1969; 29:1195-9.
  5. Kovacevic Z, Morris HP. The role of glutamine in the oxidative metabolism of malignant cells. Cancer Res 1972; 32:326-33.

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Authors
Dang, C. V.
Affiliations
Johns Hopkins University (US)
Corresponding author
Dang, Chi V.
Venue
Cell Cycle
Published
2010-10
Volume
9
Issue
19
Pages
3884-3886
ISSN
  • 1538-4101 (ISSN-L)
  • 1551-4005
OpenAlex
W1986517285
Cited by
245
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 21 · 2014: 25 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 17
FWCI
5.18
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cell Cycle (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Cancer, Hypoxia, and Metabolism
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biochemistry › Amino Acid Enzymes and Metabolism
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Cancer, Lipids, and Metabolism
Keywords
glutaminolysis, glutamine metabolism, cancer metabolism, aerobic glycolysis, Warburg effect, TCA cycle, MYC oncogene, β-catenin, glutamine synthetase, glutamine addiction, hepatocellular carcinoma, methionine, metabolic reprogramming, cancer therapy
MeSH terms
Amino Acids, Carbon, Citric Acid Cycle, Energy Metabolism, Glucose, Glutamine, Glycolysis, Humans, Neoplasms, Nitrogen, Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc, Glutamic Acid

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