The Research Progress of the Structures and Functions of Aspartate Transporters in Mammalian Systems
SHAO Shuyu, MENG Chunchun*
Amino acid transporters are membrane proteins that mediate the transmembrane transport of amino acids, facilitating the entry of various essential amino acids into cells and regulating their uptake and utilization by the organism. Aspartate, a non-essential amino acid in animals, plays a crucial role in protein synthesis, neurotransmission, and energy metabolism. However, the transport of aspartate into cells relies on the assistance of aspartate transporters, which are located on the cell membranes and organelle membranes of mammals, forming channels that shuttle aspartate across membranes. Aspartate transporters are critical for cellular metabolism, playing key roles in amino acid transport, energy metabolism, and signal transduction. This review systematically examines the structures and biological functions of aspartate transporters in mammals, classifying them based on amino acid properties and discussing aspartate transporters within acidic and neutral amino acid transporter families. Particular attention is given to their roles in mitochondrial function maintenance, tumor growth inhibition, and maintenance of intracellular amino acid homeostasis. Insights into their regulatory mechanisms provide important therapeutic targets for cancer and metabolic disorders. Additionally, this review offers insights into the transport and metabolism of other amino acids in mammals, laying a theoretical foundation for the development of drugs targeting amino acid metabolism and the treatment of aspartate metabolism-related diseases.
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