Overview

• An international team from Trinity College Dublin and the University of Florida published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week identifying SLC35F2 as the transporter for queuosine.
• Queuosine is a vitamin-like micronutrient obtained exclusively from diet and gut bacteria that enhances tRNA modification for protein synthesis fidelity.
• SLC35F2’s conservation across species suggests an ancient role in queuosine uptake and fundamental importance in cell biology.
• Understanding this transporter opens research into therapies targeting queuosine metabolism for cancer suppression and neurological disorders.
• The study highlights how interactions between diet and the microbiome regulate gene expression and cellular metabolism via nutrient transport.