Abstract by Louise Helbig Nexø

Cells rely on specialised proteins called transporters to import essential nutrients from their surroundings. One such transporter, SNAT2, helps maintain amino acid balance and enables cells to adapt to nutrient stress. SNAT2 has attracted considerable interest because it supports metabolic adaptation in cancer cells and contributes to amino acid homeostasis in the central nervous system. Despite its biological and medical importance, little was known about how SNAT2 functions at the molecular level. In this thesis, structural and functional approaches are combined to provide new insight into how SNAT2 recognises and transports nutrients.