Role of LAT1 in the Promotion of Amino Acid Incorporation in Activated T Cells

Intake of nutrients from the environment is fundamental to cellular activity. The requirement of nutrients depends on the situation in which cells are placed. Activation of T cells changes the structure and scale of cellular metabolism, which requires a large amount of nutrients. Hydrophilic nutrients such as glucose and amino acids cannot diffuse beyond the cellular membrane; thus transporters are required to assist the incorporation of these nutrients into cells. Based on this observation, metabolic changes accompanying activation of T cells must occur simultaneously with the reorganization of transporters that are capable of providing sufficient nutrients to the cell. This review describes the functional advantages of using special nutrient transporters in activated T cells and discusses the mechanisms of responses to nutrient starvation in T cells.