Protein kinases as regulators of osmolyte accumulation under stress conditions: An overview

• Published in: Frontiers in bioscience Vol. 25; no. 7; pp. 1386 - 1411
• Main Authors: Manzoor, Usma, Dar, Tanveer Ali
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore IMR Press 01.03.2020
• Subjects: Betaine - metabolism; betaine transporter; cancer; Cell Size; cell volume regulation; GABA Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins - metabolism; Humans; Membrane Glycoproteins - metabolism; Membrane Transport Proteins - metabolism; myoinositol transporter; Osmolar Concentration; osmolyte; osmolyte transporter; Osmotic Pressure - physiology; phosphorylation; protein kinase; Protein Kinases - metabolism; Stress, Physiological - physiology; Taurine - metabolism; taurine transporter
• DOI: 10.2741/4861
• ISSN: 1093-9946; 2768-6701

Accumulation of osmolytes, during cell volume perturbations, as cell volume regulators is ensured through their de novo synthesis, decreased degradation and transport from their site of synthesis to the site of utility through various transport systems. Among these, transport system mediated accumulation has been observed to be quite significant during long term cell volume perturbation. Under stress conditions, these osmolyte transporters are regulated at transcriptional as well as translational level. At translational level, protein kinases carry out phosphorylation of osmolyte transporters and have been shown to play a crucial role in cell volume homeostasis. In fact phosphorylation of osmolyte transporters on their conserved residues regulates the uptake and efflux of osmolytes by cells. Additionally, accumulated osmolytes in turn have been shown to modulate the structure and functioning of protein kinases. The present review has tried to provide an overview about the role of protein kinases in regulation of osmolyte accumulation under stress conditions. Due to their ability of regulating osmolyte accumulation, potential of protein kinases as therapeutic targets for diseases like cancer has also been highlighted.