An ATP-associated membrane interface integrating methionine flux with redox-regulated signaling in cancer

Abstract

Methionine dependence and redox-regulated post-translational modifications (PTMs) represent well-characterized and therapeutically relevant features of cancer cell metabolism. Although established amino acid transporters and one-carbon pathways account for methionine uptake and utilization, current models do not fully explain how methionine influx is dynamically integrated with ATP-dependent membrane energetics and redox-sensitive signaling networks in malignant cells. Here, we propose a testable conceptual framework in which a thiol-and methyl-responsive, ATP-associated membrane interface operates at the membrane–metabolism boundary, coupling methionine availability with redox-regulated PTM networks. Rather than postulating a novel transporter, this model introduces a regulatory layer linking sulfur and methyl-group flux to membrane energetics and signaling adaptability. By positioning membrane energetics as an active component of metabolic–redox coordination, this framework advances a systems-level perspective in which methionine dependence emerges from coordinated energetic, metabolic, and signaling processes rather than isolated transporter activity. The hypothesis generates experimentally tractable predictions: perturbation of thiol redox balance, methyl-group flux, ion gradients, or ATP-dependent membrane processes should produce coordinated alterations in methionine uptake dynamics and PTM signaling states. This model provides a foundation for mechanistic investigation and rational therapeutic exploration.