TY - JOUR
T1 - Lysine deprivation during maternal consumption of low-protein diets could adversely affect early embryo development and health in adulthood
AU - Van Winkle, Lon J.
AU - Galat, Vasiliy
AU - Iannaccone, Philip M.
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding: Studies in the authors’ laboratories were supported, in part, by a grant from the Illinois Regenerative Medicine Institute. In addition, VG was supported by NHLBI, RC1HL100168, and a Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute Grant.
Funding Information:
Studies in the authors? laboratories were supported, in part, by a grant from the Illinois Regenerative Medicine Institute. In addition, VG was supported by NHLBI, RC1HL100168, and a Stanley Manne Children?s Research Institute Grant.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2020/8/1
Y1 - 2020/8/1
N2 - The conversion of lysine to glutamate is needed for signaling in all plants and animals. In mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells, and probably their progenitors, endogenous glutamate production and signaling help maintain cellular pluripotency and proliferation, although the source of glutamate is yet to be determined. If the source of glutamate is lysine, then lysine deprivation caused by maternal low-protein diets could alter early embryo development and, consequently, the health of the offspring in adulthood. For these reasons, we measured three pertinent variables in human embryonic stem (hES) cells as a model for the inner cell masses of human blastocysts. We found that RNA encoding the alpha-aminoadipic semialdehyde synthase enzyme, which regulates glutamate production from lysine, was highly expressed in hES cells. Moreover, the mean amount of lysine consumed by hES cells was 50% greater than the mean amount of glutamate they produced, indicating that lysine is likely converted to glutamate in these cells. Finally, hES cells expressed RNA encoding at least two glutamate receptors. Since this may also be the case for hES progenitor cells in blastocysts, further studies are warranted to verify the presence of this signaling process in hES cells and to determine whether lysine deprivation alters early mammalian embryo development.
AB - The conversion of lysine to glutamate is needed for signaling in all plants and animals. In mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells, and probably their progenitors, endogenous glutamate production and signaling help maintain cellular pluripotency and proliferation, although the source of glutamate is yet to be determined. If the source of glutamate is lysine, then lysine deprivation caused by maternal low-protein diets could alter early embryo development and, consequently, the health of the offspring in adulthood. For these reasons, we measured three pertinent variables in human embryonic stem (hES) cells as a model for the inner cell masses of human blastocysts. We found that RNA encoding the alpha-aminoadipic semialdehyde synthase enzyme, which regulates glutamate production from lysine, was highly expressed in hES cells. Moreover, the mean amount of lysine consumed by hES cells was 50% greater than the mean amount of glutamate they produced, indicating that lysine is likely converted to glutamate in these cells. Finally, hES cells expressed RNA encoding at least two glutamate receptors. Since this may also be the case for hES progenitor cells in blastocysts, further studies are warranted to verify the presence of this signaling process in hES cells and to determine whether lysine deprivation alters early mammalian embryo development.
KW - Barker hypothesis
KW - Blastocyst
KW - Embryo
KW - Embryonic stem cells
KW - Glutamate signaling
KW - Low-protein diet
KW - Lysine
KW - Offspring
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U2 - 10.3390/ijerph17155462
DO - 10.3390/ijerph17155462
M3 - Article
C2 - 32751190
AN - SCOPUS:85089003155
VL - 17
SP - 1
EP - 9
JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
SN - 1661-7827
IS - 15
M1 - 5462
ER -