Regulatory Mechanism of Glutamine Transporter ASCT2 in Intestinal Health of Piglets and Nutritional Intervention Strategies

Alanine-serine-cysteine transporter 2 (ASCT2) is crucial for glutamine uptake and intestinal health in piglets. This review summarizes ASCT2’s structure, regulatory mechanisms, and core functions in maintaining intestinal health, including maintaining intestinal barrier integrity, modulating immunity, alleviating oxidative stress, and modulating cell proliferation/apoptosis. ASCT2 expression is regulated by multiple factors, including developmental stage, nutrition, gut microbiota, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Nutritional interventions targeting ASCT2, such as amino acids (e.g., glutamine, leucine, and N -carbamylglutamate), probiotics, plant extracts (e.g., chlorogenic acid and astilbin), and functional proteins and peptides (e.g., epidermal growth factor (EGF) and lactoferrin) may help optimize ASCT2 function and enhance intestinal health in piglets. It also discusses the potential use of ASCT2 as a biomarker for intestinal health assessment, offering novel strategies for preventing and treating intestinal diseases in piglets.