Glutamine Metabolism Controls Stem Cell Fate Reversibility and Long-Term Maintenance in the Hair Follicle

    September 2020 in “ Cell Metabolism ”
    Christine S. Kim, Xiaolei Ding, Kira Allmeroth, Leah C. Biggs, Olivia I. Kolenc, Nina L’Hoest, Carlos Andrés Chacón‐Martínez, Christian Edlich‐Muth, Patrick Giavalisco, Kyle P. Quinn, Martin S. Denzel, Sabine A. Eming, Sara A. Wickström
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    Studysummary This study highlights that the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2 (mTORC2)-Akt signaling axis is essential for hair follicle stem cells to return to their niche and regenerate effectively by regulating metabolic pathways. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
    The study explored the impact of glutamine metabolism on hair follicle stem cell (HFSC) fate, reversibility, and maintenance. It was found that the transition of HFSCs to progenitor cells involves a metabolic shift to oxidative phosphorylation and glutamine metabolism, which must be suppressed for progenitors to revert to stem cells. The mTORC2-Akt signaling pathway was identified as a key regulator of this process, with its disruption leading to a loss of stem cell reversibility and HFSC exhaustion. The study, which involved experiments on mice with sample sizes ranging from 3 to 6 per condition, suggests that metabolic flexibility is essential for stem cell maintenance and that manipulating glutamine metabolism could potentially control HFSC fate and maintenance.
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