Polyamine Metabolism and Cellular Function
Summary
Polyamines are small polycationic molecules—principally putrescine, spermidine and spermine—ubiquitous in all living cells. Their biosynthesis begins with ornithine decarboxylation to form putrescine, followed by stepwise aminopropyl transfers that yield spermidine and spermine. Intracellular levels are tightly controlled by regulatory proteins (antizymes and antizyme inhibitors), by catabolic enzymes that back-convert higher polyamines and by specific uptake and export transporters. Polyamines interact electrostatically with nucleic acids, modulate chromatin structure and influence translation, notably through the unique hypusination of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A). They also regulate ion channels, stabilise membrane integrity and contribute to redox balance. At the cellular level, polyamines support DNA replication, RNA transcription, protein synthesis, cellular proliferation and differentiation. They are central to stress responses, autophagy and cellular ageing. Dysregulation of polyamine metabolism is implicated in diverse pathologies, including neurodegeneration, cardiovascular disease and cancer; high polyamine levels can promote tumour growth, while declining levels during ageing have been linked to reduced stress resistance and impaired autophagy. Nutritional sources—through diet or gut microbiota—can modulate systemic polyamine pools, offering potential avenues for intervention in ageing-related decline and metabolic disorders. Emerging therapeutics target key enzymes such as ornithine decarboxylase or exploit dietary supplementation to restore homeostasis and improve health span.
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Polyamine Metabolism and Cellular Function publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in polyamine metabolism and cellular function across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Polyamines: Small organic cations (putrescine, spermidine, spermine) that bind nucleic acids and proteins to modulate cellular processes.
Ornithine decarboxylase: Rate-limiting enzyme converting ornithine to putrescine, initiating polyamine biosynthesis.
Hypusination: Unique post-translational modification of eIF5A involving spermidine, essential for its function in translation.
Autophagy: Conserved self-digestive pathway that degrades and recycles cytoplasmic components to maintain cellular homeostasis.
Antizyme: Regulatory protein that binds and inhibits ornithine decarboxylase and polyamine transporters to control intracellular polyamine levels.
References
- A surge in endogenous spermidine is essential for rapamycin-induced autophagy and longevity. Autophagy (2024).
- Polyamines: their significance for maintaining health and contributing to diseases. Cell Communication and Signaling (2023).
- Dietary and Gut Microbiota Polyamines in Obesity- and Age-Related Diseases. Frontiers in Nutrition (2019).
- Dietary spermidine improves cognitive function. Cell Reports (2021).
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