Utilization of cysteine and cysteine precursors for the synthesis of glutathione in astroglial cultures: preference for cystine
Abstract
The ability of astroglia-rich primary cultures derived from the brains of neonatal rats to take up and metabolize various sulfur containing compounds to cysteine was investigated using the content of intracellular glutathione as an indicator. Astroglial cells were partially depleted of glutathione by starvation for 24 h. Subsequent feeding for 4 h with glucose, glycine, and glutamate resulted in a restoration of the glutathione level, if cysteine was present. Substitution of cysteine by cystine during resynthesis of glutathione led to a glutathione content which exceeded that of cysteine-refed cells by 41%. Half-maximal content of glutathione was found at a concentration of about 12 microM cysteine and a maximal content at a concentration of at least 50 microM cysteine. In contrast, no plateau in the glutathione level was reached with increasing concentrations of cystine. The cystine effect could not be due to a contamination, since it was abolished after reduction of cystine by dithiothreitol. Since the cystine effect was not affected by inhibiting gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, a promotion of cystine uptake by formation of gamma-glutamylcystine can also be excluded. Of the potential cysteine precursors tested, N-acetylcystein...Continue Reading
Citations
Related Concepts
Related Feeds
Astrocytes
Astrocytes are glial cells that support the blood-brain barrier, facilitate neurotransmission, provide nutrients to neurons, and help repair damaged nervous tissues. Here is the latest research.