Identification, Expression, and Roles of the Cystine/Glutamate Antiporter in Ocular Tissues

The cystine/glutamate antiporter (system x(c)(−)) is composed of a heavy chain subunit 4F2hc linked by a disulphide bond to a light chain xCT, which exchanges extracellular cystine, the disulphide form of the amino acid cysteine, for intracellular glutamate. In vitro research in the brain, kidney, and liver have shown this antiporter to play a role in minimising oxidative stress by providing a source of intracellular cysteine for the synthesis of the antioxidant glutathione. In vivo studies using the xCT knockout mouse revealed that the plasma cystine/cysteine redox couple was tilted to a more oxidative state demonstrating system x(c)(−) to also play a role in maintaining extracellular redox balance by driving a cystine/cysteine redox cycle. In addition, through import of cystine, system x(c)(−) also serves to export glutamate into the extracellular space which may influence neurotransmission and glutamate signalling in neural tissues. While changes to system x(c)(−) function has been linked to cancer and neurodegenerative disease, there is limited research on the roles of system x(c)(−) in the different tissues of the eye, and links between the antiporter, aging, and ocular disease. Hence, this review seeks to consolidate research on system x(c)(−) in the cornea, lens, retina, and ocular humours conducted across several species to shed light on the in vitro and in vivo roles of xCT in the eye and highlight the utility of the xCT knockout mouse as a tool to investigate the contribution of xCT to age-related ocular diseases.