Lymphocytes glutamine metabolism

Comparison of the early stages of glutamine metabolism in kidney, intestine and lymphocytes... 

There may be several mechanisms for these metabolic effects. Unsaturated fatty acids have been shown to directly activate specific enzymes and to induce DNA synthesis and cytokine release from lymphocytes (Karsten et al., 1994). The induction of specific protein synthesis may produce the reduction in glutamine metabolism. The increase in the robustness of the fatty acid-grown hybridomas in agitated cultures could be explained by a high incorporation of the available fatty acids into the cellular phospholipids fraction, which is a major structural component of the outer membrane of the cell (Butler et al., 1999). 

Fitzpatrick L, Jenkins HA, Butler M (1993), Glucose and glutamine metabolism of a murine B-lymphocyte grown in batch culture, Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 43 93-116. 

Newsholme, E.A., Crabtree, B., Ardawi, S.M. (1985). Glutamine metabolism in lymphocytes Its biochemical, physiological and clinical importance. Quart. J. Exp. Physiol. 70, 473-489. 

Between them, the bone marrow and the small intestine possess the highest number of proliferating cells in the body. The bone marrow contains stem cells which proliferate and differentiate to produce red and white blood cells (Chapter 17). This requires not only this amino acids to support protein synthesis but also glutamine, both as a fuel and as a precursor for nucleotides, as in the other proliferating cells. The pathway for metabolism of glutamine in cells isolated from the bone marrow is similar to that in lymphocytes (Figure 8.28). 

Wu G, Flynn NE. Regulation of glutamine and glucose metabolism by cell volume in lymphocytes and macrophages. Biochim Biophys Acta 1995 1243 343-350. 

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