Figure 5

Glutamine utilization in cancer cells and the tumor stroma. Oxidative mitochondrial metabolism of glutamine in cancer cells produces ammonia. Ammonia production is sufficient to induce autophagy. Thus, autophagy in cancer-associated fibroblasts provides cancer cells with an abundant source of glutamine. In turn, the ammonia produced maintains the autophagic phenotype of the adjacent stromal fibroblasts. See text for details. TCA, tricarboxylic acid.