Scientists solve 30-year mystery of a hidden nutrient that protects the brain and fights cancer

Queuosine -- pronounced "cue-o-scene" -- is a vitamin-like compound that the body cannot produce on its own. Instead, it comes from certain foods and from bacteria living in the gut. Despite its importance, this nutrient remained largely overlooked for decades.

Discovery of the Gene That Lets It Enter Cells

In a study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists identified the gene responsible for transporting queuosine into human cells. This breakthrough could eventually support the development of new treatments that take advantage of the nutrient's roles in memory, learning, and cancer suppression.

"For over 30 years, scientists have suspected that there had to be a transporter for this nutrient, but no one could find it," said Valérie de Crécy-Lagard, a UF/IFAS microbiology and cell science distinguished professor and department associate chair, as well as one of the study's principal investigators. "We've been hunting for it for a long time. This discovery opens up a whole new chapter in understanding how the microbiome and our diet can influence the translation of our genes."

The study received support from multiple national health organizations, including the National Institutes of Health , Research Ireland (formerly Science Foundation Ireland), and Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland.

How Queuosine Shapes Gene Expression

Queuosine plays a key role in how the body builds proteins. It alters transfer RNA, the molecules responsible for helping cells interpret DNA and produce proteins correctly.

"It's like a nutrient that fine-tunes how your body reads your genes," she said. "The idea that this small compound, which people have barely heard of, plays such an important role, is fascinating."

SLC35F2 Identified as the Missing Transporter

For years, scientists did not know how queuosine entered cells. The discovery of the gene SLC35F2 fills that gap and provides a foundation for future research. This gene had previously been studied for its role in allowing viruses and certain cancer drugs to enter cells, but its normal function in healthy biology was unclear until now, de Crécy-Lagard explained.

"We have known for a long time that queuosine influences critical processes like brain health, metabolic regulation, cancer and even responses to stress, but until now we haven't known how it is salvaged from the gut and distributed to the billions of human cells that take it in," said Vincent Kelly, professor in Trinity College Dublin's School of Biochemistry and Immunology, and joint senior author of the article.

A Rediscovered Nutrient With Global Research Impact

First identified in the 1970s, queuosine is a tiny molecule that remained underappreciated for many years. Researchers involved in this international effort hope the new findings will bring greater attention to its importance in overall health.

The project brought together scientists from the University of Florida, San Diego State University, the Ohio State University, and institutions across Ireland and Northern Ireland.

"We don't think we could have cracked it without the full team," de Crécy-Lagard said. "It's a perfect example of what international collaboration can achieve."