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Creatine synthesis and exchanges between brain cells: What can be learned from human creatine deficiencies and various experimental models?

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Abstract

While it has long been thought that most of cerebral creatine is of peripheral origin, the last 20 years has provided evidence that the creatine synthetic pathway (AGAT and GAMT enzymes) is expressed in the brain together with the creatine transporter (SLC6A8). It has also been shown that SLC6A8 is expressed by microcapillary endothelial cells at the blood–brain barrier, but is absent from surrounding astrocytes, raising the concept that the blood–brain barrier has a limited permeability for peripheral creatine. The first creatine deficiency syndrome in humans was also discovered 20 years ago (GAMT deficiency), followed later by AGAT and SLC6A8 deficiencies, all three diseases being characterized by creatine deficiency in the CNS and essentially affecting the brain. By reviewing the numerous and latest experimental studies addressing creatine transport and synthesis in the CNS, as well as the clinical and biochemical characteristics of creatine-deficient patients, our aim was to delineate a clearer view of the roles of the blood–brain and blood-cerebrospinal fluid barriers in the transport of creatine and guanidinoacetate between periphery and CNS, and on the intracerebral synthesis and transport of creatine. This review also addresses the question of guanidinoacetate toxicity for brain cells, as probably found under GAMT deficiency.

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Abbreviations

3D:

Three-dimensional

AChE:

Acetylcholine esterase

AGAT:

Arginine, glycine amidinotransferase

AMPK:

AMP-activated protein kinase

Arg:

Arginine

BBB:

Blood–brain barrier

BCSFB:

Blood–CSF barrier

CCDS:

Cerebral creatine deficiency syndromes

CK:

Creatine kinase

CNS:

Central nervous system

Cr:

Creatine

Crn:

Creatinine

CSF:

Cerebrospinal fluid

GAA:

Guanidinoacetate

GABA:

γ-Amino butyric acid

GABAA-R and GABAB-R:

GABAA and GABAB receptors

GAD:

Glutamic acid decarboxylase

GAMT:

Guanidinoacetate methyltransferase

Gly:

Glycine

ID/DD:

Intellectual/development delays

MCEC:

Microcapillary endothelial cells

MCT12:

Monocarboxylate transporter 12

MRS:

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Orn:

Ornithine

PCr:

Phosphocreatine

PGAA:

Phosphorylated GAA

SGK:

Serum/glucocorticoid-regulated kinase

SLC6A8:

Creatine transporter

TauT:

Taurine transporter

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Acknowledgments

Our work is supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation, Grants 3100A0-116859 and 31003A-130278.

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  1. Service of Biomedicine, Neurometabolic Unit, Lausanne University Hospital, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Layane Hanna-El-Daher & Olivier Braissant

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  1. Layane Hanna-El-Daher
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  2. Olivier Braissant
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Correspondence to Olivier Braissant.

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Hanna-El-Daher, L., Braissant, O. Creatine synthesis and exchanges between brain cells: What can be learned from human creatine deficiencies and various experimental models?. Amino Acids 48, 1877–1895 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-016-2189-0

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