The neuronal and astrocytic protein SLC38A10 transports glutamine, glutamate, and aspartate, suggesting a role in neurotransmission.

In brain cells, glutamine transporters are vital to monitor and control the levels of glutamate and GABA. There are 11 members of the SLC38 family of amino acid transporters of which eight have been functionally characterized. Here, we report the first histological and functional characterization of the previously orphan member, SLC38A10.

The gene expression of numerous SLC transporters is altered in the immortalized hypothalamic cell line N25/2 following amino acid starvation.

Amino acids are known to play a key role in gene expression regulation, and in mammalian cells, amino acid signaling is mainly mediated via two pathways, the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway and the amino acid responsive (AAR) pathway. It is vital for cells to have a system to sense amino acid levels, in order to control protein and amino acid synthesis and catabolism. Amino acid transporters are crucial in these pathways, due to both their sensing and transport functions.