The Neutral Amino Acid Transporter SLC7A10 in Adipose Tissue, Obesity and Insulin Resistance

Three members of our group recently published a review article entitled “The neutral amino acid transporter SLC7A10 in adipose tissue, obesity and insulin resistance” in the journal Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology. Obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes represent major global health challenges and understanding the biological changes under these conditions may lead to improved treatment strategies. In this comprehensive review, the authors summarize and discuss the current knowledge on the amino acid transporter SLC7A10 in fat cell metabolism and obesity-related diseases. In white fat cells, increased levels of SLC7A10 have been linked with a beneficial effect on mitochondrial activity, and reduced generation of reactive oxygen species (a measure of cell stress). In addition to being important for white adipocyte function, recent studies report a potential role for this amino acid transporter in the regulation of fat cell “beiging”, highlighting SLC7A10 as a complex and interesting factor in fat cell biology. Moreover, zebrafish with partial global Slc7a10b loss-of-function gained 38% more body weight compared to controls, suggesting an interesting role for SLC7A10 in weight gain and potentially weight management. The authors also propose avenues for further research, including investigation into physiological consequences of altered fat cell SLC7A10 in animal models and mapping SLC7A10’s function in different adipocyte subtypes.