Title:Metabolic Routes in Inflammation: The Citrate Pathway and its Potential as Therapeutic Target
Volume: 26
Issue: 40
Author(s): Vittoria Infantino , Ciro Leonardo Pierri and Vito Iacobazzi*
Affiliation:
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnology and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, Bari,Italy
Keywords:
Citrate pathway, mitochondrial citrate carrier, ATP citrate lyase, inflammation, inhibition, ROS, NO,
PGE2.
Abstract: Significant metabolic changes occur in inflammation to respond to the new energetic
needs of cells. Mitochondria are addressed not only to produce ATP, but also to supply
substrates, such citrate, to produce pro-inflammatory molecules. In this context, most of the
citrate is diverted from Krebs cycle and channeled into the “citrate pathway” leading to the
increase in the export of citrate into cytosol by the Mitochondrial Citrate Carrier (CIC) followed
by its cleavage into acetyl-CoA and oxaloacetate by ATP Citrate Lyase (ACLY). Acetyl-
CoA is used to produce PGE2 and oxaloacetate to make NADPH needed for NO and ROS
production. In addition, cytosolic citrate also provides precursors for itaconate synthesis. Citrate-
derived itaconate acts as a negative regulator of inflammation by modulating the synthesis
of the inflammatory mediators. Inhibition of CIC or ACLY by different synthetic and natural
molecules results in the reduction of NO, ROS and PGE2 levels suggesting that the citrate
pathway can be a new target to be addressed in inflammation. Beneficial effects can be obtained
also in the oxidative stress and inflammatory conditions observed in Down syndrome.