Amino Acid Solute Carrier Transporters in Inflammation and Autoimmunity

The past decade exposed the importance of many homeostasis and metabolism related proteins in autoimmunity disease and inflammation. Solute carriers (SLCs) are a group of membrane channels that can transport amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, nutrients, and neurotransmitters. This review summarizes the role of SLCs amino acid transporters in inflammation and autoimmunity disease. In detail, the importance of Glutamate transporters SLC1A1, SLC1A2, and SLC1A3, mainly expressed in the brain where they help prevent glutamate excitotoxicity, is discussed in the context of central nervous system disorders such as multiple sclerosis. Similarly, the cationic amino acid transporter SLC7A1 (CAT1), which is an important arginine transporter for T cells, and SLC7A2 (CAT2), essential for innate immunity. SLC3 family proteins, which bind with light chains from the SLC7 family (SLC7A5, SLC7A7, and SLC7A11) to form heteromeric amino acid transporters, are also explored to describe their roles in T cells, Natural Killer (NK) cells, macrophages, and tumor immunotherapies. Altogether, the link between SLC amino acid transporters with inflammation and autoimmunity may contribute to a better understanding of underlying mechanism of disease and provide novel potential therapeutic avenues.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTIn this review, we summarize the link between SLC amino acid transporters and inflammation and immune responses, especially SLC1 family members and SLC7 members. Studying the link may contribute to a better understanding of related diseases and provide potential therapeutic targets useful to the researchers who have interest in the involvement of amino acids in immunity.