Mathematical model of the multi-aminoacid multi-transporter system predicts uptake flux in CHO cells

Abstract

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells express several amino acid (AA) transporters including uniporters and exchangers. Each transporter transports multiple AAs, making prediction of the effect of changed medium composition or transporter levels on individual AA transport rate challenging. A general kinetic model and a simplified analytical expression for the uptake rate is presented. A CHO cell-specific AA transport model, to our knowledge the first such network model for any cell type, is constructed. The model is validated by its prediction of reported uptake flux and amino acid inter-dependencies from experiments that were not used in model construction or parameter estimation. The model defines theoretical conditions for synergistic/repressive effect on the uptake rates of other AAs upon external addition of one AA. This model will help formulate testable hypotheses of the effect of process changes on AA initial uptake, and serve as the AA transport component of kinetic models for cellular metabolism.