1. Academic Validation
  2. Lighting up arginine metabolism reveals its functional diversity in physiology and pathology

Lighting up arginine metabolism reveals its functional diversity in physiology and pathology

  • Cell Metab. 2025 Jan 7;37(1):291-304.e9. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2024.09.011.
Rui Li 1 Yan Li 2 Kun Jiang 1 Lijuan Zhang 3 Ting Li 1 Aihua Zhao 4 Zhuo Zhang 1 Yale Xia 3 Kun Ge 4 Yaqiong Chen 3 Chengnuo Wang 3 Weitao Tang 3 Shuning Liu 3 Xiaoxi Lin 5 Yuqin Song 6 Jie Mei 3 Chun Xiao 3 Aoxue Wang 1 Yejun Zou 1 Xie Li 1 Xianjun Chen 1 Zhenyu Ju 7 Wei Jia 4 Joseph Loscalzo 8 Yu Sun 9 Wei Fang 10 Yi Yang 11 Yuzheng Zhao 12
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China; Research Unit of New Techniques for Live-cell Metabolic Imaging, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China.
  • 2 Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China; Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
  • 3 Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
  • 4 Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai 200233, China.
  • 5 Department of Laser and Aesthetic Medicine, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China.
  • 6 Suzhou Ruijin Vitiligo Medical Research Institute, Suzhou 215100, China.
  • 7 Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory, Institute of Aging and Regenerative Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
  • 8 Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
  • 9 Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
  • 10 Department of Laser and Aesthetic Medicine, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China. Electronic address: weifang081782@163.com.
  • 11 Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China. Electronic address: yiyang@ecust.edu.cn.
  • 12 Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China; Research Unit of New Techniques for Live-cell Metabolic Imaging, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China. Electronic address: yuzhengzhao@ecust.edu.cn.
Abstract

Arginine is one of the most metabolically versatile Amino acids and plays pivotal roles in diverse biological and pathological processes; however, sensitive tracking of arginine dynamics in situ remains technically challenging. Here, we engineer high-performance fluorescent biosensors, denoted sensitive to arginine (STAR), to illuminate arginine metabolism in cells, mice, and clinical samples. Utilizing STAR, we demonstrate the effects of different Amino acids in regulating intra- and extracellular arginine levels. STAR enabled live-cell monitoring of arginine fluctuations during macrophage activation, phagocytosis, efferocytosis, and senescence and revealed cellular senescence depending on arginine availability. Moreover, a simple and fast assay based on STAR revealed that serum arginine levels tended to increase with age, and the elevated serum arginine level is a potential indicator for discriminating the progression and severity of vitiligo. Collectively, our study provides important insights into the metabolic and functional roles of arginine, as well as its potential in diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Keywords

arginine exchange landscape; arginine metabolism; highly responsive arginine sensors; point-of-care clinical screening; real-time monitoring.

Figures
Products