Cc. Bridges et al., Structure, function, and regulation of human cystine/glutamate transporterin retinal pigment epithelial cells, INV OPHTH V, 42(1), 2001, pp. 47-54
PURPOSE. The purpose of this investigation was to provide evidence for the
expression of the cystine/glutamate trans porter (x(c)(-)) in the human ret
inal pigment epithelial cell line ARPE-19, clone the light chain of the tra
nsporter from an ARPE-19 cell cDNA library and study its function, and inve
stigate the regulation of this transporter by nitric oxide (NO) in ARPE-19
cells.
METHODS. Uptake of radiolabeled cystine and glutamate was measured in ARPE-
19 cells. The functional identity of x(c)(-) in these cells was established
by substrate specificity and Na+ - independence of the uptake process. The
human x(c)(-) light chain (human xCT) was cloned from an ARPE-19 cell cDNA
library. The functional identity of the cloned human xCT was investigated
by heterologous coexpression of the light chain with the heavy chain (human
4F2hc) in HeLa cells. ARPE-19 cells were treated with or without the NO do
nor 3-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) and the expression of x(c)(-) wa
s studied at the functional and molecular levels.
RESULTS. ARPE-19 cells take up cystine as well as glutamate in the absence
of Na+. Substrate specificity studies indicate that although the uptake of
cystine in the absence of Na+ is mediated by multiple amino acid transport
systems including x(c)(-), the uptake of glutamate in the absence of Na+ oc
curs exclusively via x(c)(-). The human xCT cloned from ARPE-19 cells is a
protein of 501 amino acids. These cells express the heavy chain 4F2hc as ev
idenced from RT-PCR analysis. Coexpression of human xCT with 4F2hc in HeLa
cells leads to the induction of cystine and glutamate uptake with character
istics similar to that of x(c)(-). The activity of x(c)(-) in ARPE-19 cells
is upregulated by SNAP, and the process is associated with an increase in
the expression of xCT with no detectable change in the expression of 4F2hc.
CONCLUSIONS. ARPE-19 cells express the cystine/glutamate transporter x(c)(-
) (the light chain xCT and the heavy chain 4F2hc) as is evident from functi
onal and molecular studies. NO upregulates this transport system and the pr
ocess is associated with an increase in xCT mRNA but with no change in 4F2h
c mRNA.