Research Progress of Lactate as Signal Molecule

WAN Juan1, CHEN Chunfang¹, TANG Shan¹, YAO Lihua^1,2, GONG Yanchun^1,2*

(¹Institute of Physical Education, Jiangxi Science & Technology Normal University, Nanchang 330013, China; ²School of Life Science, Jiangxi Science & Technology Normal University, Nanchang 330013, China)

Abstract:

Lactate was previously known as metabolic waste of glycolysis, especially as the trigger of muscle fatigue. However, increasing results indicate that lactate can play an important role in a variety of physiological and pathological processes in cell. Lactate can not only be used as an energy source to power the brain neurons, heart and skeletal muscle, but also as a special signal molecule to function in energy regulation, tumor cell growth, metastasis and immune escape, neuronal energy metabolism, synaptic plasticity, learning and memory and neural development, cell proliferation and differentiation through its monocarboxylate transporter and G-protein-coupled receptor 81. Herein, the research advances of lactate were focused on its roles in signal transduction and in related physiological and pathological processes in cell. This review could provide a new reference for further understanding the biological characteristics and basic applications of lactate.

CSTR: 32200.14.cjcb.2022.10.0011