[AVX Seminar] On the diversity of links between transport and metabolism of carboxylic acids | Margarida Casal
Margarida Casal, Universidade do Minho
| When |
23 Feb, 2017
from
11:00 am to 12:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Where | Auditorium |
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AVX Seminar
Title: On the diversity of links between transport and metabolism of carboxylic acids
Speaker: Margarida Casal
Affiliation: CBMA, Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Department of Biology, School of Sciences, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal. mcasal@bio.uminho.pt
Abstract:
Carboxylic acid transporters form a heterogeneous group of proteins from different families and biological origins, showing diverse mechanisms of action and regulation. Detailed understanding of the metabolism and mechanisms of transport of these compounds has become more important than ever, both from a fundamental and from an applied point of view. In this presentation I will report distinct studies carried out in yeast, bacteria and human cells that culminated in the identification of multiple physiological roles played by lactic acid transporters (1). From a biotechnological perspective, the increasing economic value of carboxylic acid has boosted this field of research considerably. In our laboratory we manipulated the metabolism of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce lactic acid, demonstrating how carboxylate transporters act as modulators of carboxylic acid production and may well be used to manipulate its export in yeast cells (2). The transport of lactic acid in human cells has also gained interest for its major role in cancer cells. Most malignant tumors exhibit the Warburg effect, which manifests itself by increased glycolysis rates with production of lactate, even in the presence of oxygen. Monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) maintain these glycolytic rates, by mediating the influx and/or efflux of lactate and are overexpressed in several cancer cell types. In human cells MCT1-MCT4 are proton symporters, which mediate the plasma membrane transport of pyruvate, lactate and ketone bodies (3). The lactate analogue 3-bromopyruvate, an inhibitor of energy metabolism, has been proposed as a specific anti-tumor agent (4). We will discuss how yeast biology has contributed to highlight the putative role of MCTs on the anti-tumor effect of 3-bromopyruvate in breast cancer cells (5,6).
Margarida Casal
CBMA, Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Department of Biology, School of Sciences, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal. mcasal@bio.uminho.pt
