SLC1A5 prevents aortic aneurysm and dissection by glutaminolytic-epigenetic orchestration of vascular smooth muscle cell homeostasis [RNA-seq]

Glutamine is carried into and out of cells by glutamine transporters such as SLC1, SLC7 and SLC38 families, and cytoplasmic glutamine subsequently catabolized to glutamate that provides biosynthetic precursors. To identify the candidate glutamine transporters or glutamate metabolism regulators that contributed to the pathogenesis of Aortic aneurysm and dissection (AAD), we used RNA sequencing analysis in Ang II perfusion-induced AAD in Apoe-/- mice and discovered that several key genes associated with glutamine transports and metabolism were considerably reduced in AAD, particularly Slc1a5.