Skip to main content
Download PDF
  • Published:

Estrogen regulation and ion dependence of taurine uptake by MCF-7 human breast cancer cells

Cellular & Molecular Biology Letters volume 12, pages 396–406 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

It has been reported that estrogen receptor-positive MCF-7 cells express TauT, a Na+-dependent taurine transporter. However, there is a paucity of information relating to the characteristics of taurine transport in this human breast cancer cell line. Therefore, we have examined the characteristics and regulation of taurine uptake by MCF-7 cells. Taurine uptake by MCF-7 cells showed an absolute dependence upon extracellular Na+. Although taurine uptake was reduced in Cl- free medium a significant portion of taurine uptake persisted in the presence of NO3 -. Taurine uptake by MCF-7 cells was inhibited by extracellular β-alanine but not by L-alanine or L-leucine. 17β-estadiol increased taurine uptake by MCF-7 cells: the Vmax of influx was increased without affecting the Km. The effect of 17β-estradiol on taurine uptake by MCF-7 cells was dependent upon the presence of extracellular Na+. In contrast, 17β-estradiol had no significant effect on the kinetic parameters of taurine uptake by estrogen receptor-negative MDA-MB-231 cells. It appears that estrogen regulates taurine uptake by MCF-7 cells via TauT. In addition, Na+-dependent taurine uptake may not be strictly dependent upon extracellular Cl-.

Abbreviations

MOPS:

3-(N-Morpholino)-propanesulfonic acid

TauT:

taurine transporter

Tris:

Tris[hydroxymethyl]aminoethane

References

  1. Huxtable, R.J. Physiological actions of taurine. Physiol. Rev. 72 (1992) 101–163.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Lambert, I.H. Regulation of the cellular content of the organic osmolyte taurine in mammalian cells. Neurochem. Res. 29 (2004) 27–63.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Uchida S., Kwon H.M., Yamauchi A., Preston A.S., Marumo F. and Handler J.S. Molecular cloning of the cDNA for an MDCK cell Na+-and Cl-dependent taurine transporter that is regulated by hypertonicity. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89 (1992) 8230–8234.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Liu Q., Lopez-Corcuera S., Nelson H., Mandiyan S. and Nelson N. Cloning and expression of a cDNA encoding the transporter of taurine and β-alanine in mouse brain. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89 (1992) 12145–12149.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Jhiang, S.M., Fithian, L., Smanik, P. McGill, J., Tong, Q. and Mazzaferri E.L. Cloning of the human taurine transporter and characterization of taurine uptake in thyroid cells. FEBS Lett. 318 (1993) 139–144.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Ramamoorthy, S., Leibach, F.H., Mahesh, V.B., Han, H., Yang-Feng T., Blakely, R.D. and Ganapathy V. Functional characterization and chromosomal localization of a cloned taurine transporter from human placenta. Biochem. J. 300 (1994) 893–900.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Vinnakota, S., Qian, X., Egal, H., Sarthy, V. and Sarkar H. Molecular characterization and in situ localization of a mouse retinal taurine transporter. J. Neurochem. 69 (1997) 2238–2250.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Lambert, I.H. Taurine transport in Ehrlich ascites tumour cells, Specificity and chloride dependence. Mol. Physiol. 7 (1985) 323–332.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Ballatori, N. and Boyer, N.L. Taurine transport in skate hepatocytes. Am. J. Physiol. 262 (1992) G445–G450.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Shennan, D.B. Identification of a high affinity taurine transporter which is not dependent on chloride. Bioscience Rep. 15 (1995) 231–239.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Bryson, J.M., Jackson, S.C., Wang, H. and Hurley W.L. Cellular uptake of taurine by lactating porcine mammary tissue. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. Part B 128 (2000) 667–673.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Han, X. Patters, A.B. and Chesney R.W. Transactivation of TauT by p53 in MCF-7 cells: the role of estrogen receptors. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 526 (2003) 139–147.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Pine, M., Kim, U. and Ip C. Free amino acid pools of rodent mammary tumors. J. Natl. Can. Inst. 69 (1982) 729–735.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Beckonert, O., Monnerjahn, J., Bonk, U. and Leibfritz D. Visualizing metabolic changes in breast-cancer tissue using 1H-NMR spectroscopy and self-organizing maps. NMR Biomed. 16 (2003) 1–11.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Moreno, A., Rey, M., Montane, J.M., Alonso, J. and Arus C. 1H NMR spectroscopy of colon tumours and normal mucosal biopsies; elevated taurine levels and reduced polyethyleneglycol absorption in tumors may have diagnostic significance. NMR Biomed. 6 (1993) 111–118.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Palacin, M., Estevez, R., Bertran, J. and Zorzano A. Molecular biology of mammalian plasma membrane amino acid transporters. Physiol. Rev. 78 (1998) 969–1054.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Bhat, H.K. and Vadgama J.V. Role of estrogen receptor in the regulation of estrogen induced amino acid transport of system A in breast cancer and other receptor positive tumor cells. Int. J. Mol. Med. 9 (2002) 271–279.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Shennan, D.B., Thomson, J., Gow, I.F., Travers, M.T. and Barber M.C. L-Leucine transport in human breast cancer cells (MCF-7 and MBA-MB-231): kinetics, regulation by estrogen and molecular identity of the transporter. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1664 (2004) 206–216.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Storey, B.T., Fugere, C., Lesieur-Brooks, A., Vaslet, C. and Thompson N.L. Adenoviral modulation of the tumor-associated system L amino acid transporter, LAT1, alters amino acid transport, cell growth and 4F2/CD98 expression with cell-type specific effects in cultured hepatic cells. Int. J. Cancer 117 (2005) 387–397.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Haussinger, D. The role of cellular hydration in the regulation of cell function. Biochem. J. 313 (1996) 697–710.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Grant, A.C., Gow, I.F., Zammit, V.A. and Shennan D.B., Regulation of protein synthesis in lactating rat mammary tissue by cell volume. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1475 (2000) 39–46.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Lang, F., Busch, G.L., Ritter, M., Volkl, H., Waldegger, S., Gulbins, E. and Haussinger D. Functional significance of cell volume regulatory mechanisms. Physiol. Rev. 78 (1998) 247–306.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Shennan, D.B., Thomson, J. and Gow, I.F. Osmoregulation of Taurine efflux from cultured human breast cancer cells: comparison with volume-activated Cl-efflux and regulation by extracellular ATP. Cell. Physiol. Biochem. 18 (2006) 113–122.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Tchoumkeu, G.C. and Rebel, G. Characterization of taurine transport in human glioma GL15 cell line: regulation by protein kinase C. Neuropharmacology 35 (1996) 37–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Royal College, University of Strathclyde, 204 George Street, Glasgow, UK, G1 1XW

    David B. Shennan & Jean Thomson

Authors
  1. David B. Shennan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jean Thomson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to David B. Shennan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Shennan, D.B., Thomson, J. Estrogen regulation and ion dependence of taurine uptake by MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Cell Mol Biol Lett 12, 396–406 (2007). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11658-007-0011-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11658-007-0011-4

Keywords

Cellular & Molecular Biology Letters

ISSN: 1689-1392

Contact us