Amino acids are fundamental building blocks supporting life. Their role in protein synthesis is well defined, but they contribute to a host of other intracellular metabolic pathways, including ATP generation, nucleotide synthesis, and redox balance, to support cellular and organismal function. Immune cells critically depend on such pathways to acquire energy and biomass and to reprogram their metabolism upon activation to support growth, proliferation, and effector functions. Amino acid metabolism plays a key role in this metabolic rewiring, and it supports various immune cell functions beyond increased protein synthesis. Here, we review the mechanisms by which amino acid metabolism promotes immune cell function, and how these processes could be targeted to improve immunity in pathological conditions.

氨基酸是支持生命的基本组成部分。它们在蛋白质合成中的作用是明确的，但它们有助于许多其他细胞内代谢途径，包括 ATP 生成、核苷酸合成和氧化还原平衡，以支持细胞和机体功能。免疫细胞严重依赖于这些途径来获取能量和生物量，并在激活后重新编程其代谢以支持生长、增殖和效应子功能。氨基酸代谢在这种代谢重组中起着关键作用，它支持各种免疫细胞功能，而不仅仅是增加蛋白质合成。在这里，我们回顾了氨基酸代谢促进免疫细胞功能的机制，以及如何针对这些过程来提高病理条件下的免疫力​​。