Coordinative metabolism of glutamine carbon and nitrogen in proliferating cancer cells under hypoxia

Abstract

Glutamine metabolism is increased in proliferating cells under hypoxia potentially generating exceeding nitrogen. Here the authors show that under hypoxia a specific metabolic pathway is activated to push glutamine carbons and excess nitrogen via the reductive pathway to dihyroorotate which is then secreted by the cells and that such pathway is necessary for tumor growth.