L-type amino acid transporter 1 is associated with chemoresistance in breast cancer via the promotion of amino acid metabolism

F-18-FDG PET/CT has been used as an indicator of chemotherapy effects, but cancer cells can remain even when no FDG uptake is detected, indicating the importance of exploring other metabolomic pathways. Therefore, we explored the amino acid metabolism, including L-type amino acid transporter-1 (LAT1), in breast cancer tissues and clarified the role of LAT1 in therapeutic resistance and clinical outcomes of patients. We evaluated LAT1 expression before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and examined the correlation of glucose uptake using FDG-PET with the pathological response of patients. It revealed that LAT1 levels correlated with proliferation after chemotherapy, and amino acid and glucose metabolism were closely correlated. In addition, LAT1 was considered to be involved in treatment resistance and sensitivity only in luminal type breast cancer. Results of in vitro analyses revealed that LAT1 promoted amino acid uptake, which contributed to energy production by supplying amino acids to the TCA cycle. However, in MCF-7 cells treated with chemotherapeutic agents, oncometabolites and branched-chain amino acids also played a pivotal role in energy production and drug resistance, despite decreased glucose metabolism. In conclusion, LAT1 was involved in drug resistance and could be a novel therapeutic target against chemotherapy resistance in luminal type breast cancer.

Automated summary

The study found that L-type amino acid transporter-1 (LAT1) plays an important role in therapeutic resistance and clinical outcomes of breast cancer. Glucose and amino acid metabolism were closely related, and in vitro experiments showed that LAT1 promoted amino acid uptake for energy production. Oncometabolites and branched-chain amino acids were also key players in energy production and drug resistance in chemotherapeutic-treated MCF-7 cells.