The L-type amino acid transporters (LATs) are Na+-dependent neutral amino acid transporters. They include four members in two sub-families, with LAT1 and LAT2 belonging to solute carrier (SLC) family 7 and LAT3 and LAT4 being members of SLC43. LAT1 is overexpressed in many tumors and contributes to ribosome biogenesis and cell growth by supporting mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling. BCH is an inhibitor of LAT1 that blocks the uptake of L-leucine with an IC50 value of 131.5 μM. It can inhibit all members of the LAT family at a concentration of 10 mM. In addition to eliminating the uptake of neutral amino acids, BCH suppresses mTORC1 signaling that drives DNA synthesis and cell proliferation. LAT1 is also essential for the uptake of amino acid-related compounds, like L-DOPA , through the blood-brain barrier, and this can be inhibited by BCH.
