The Force Is Strong with This One: Metabolism Overpowers Stem Cell Fate
March 2018
in “
Trends in cell biology
”
TLDR Metabolism plays a key role in determining stem cell fate.
The review highlighted the significant role of metabolism in determining stem cell fate, particularly focusing on intestinal stem cells (ISCs) and hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs). It was found that these stem cells preferred glycolysis over mitochondrial carbohydrate oxidation, with low expression of the Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier (MPC) in ISCs and high lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in HFSCs promoting stem cell proliferation and maintenance. Manipulating pyruvate metabolism through MPC or LDH modulation significantly affected stem cell homeostasis and function. The review proposed a model where the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, modulated by APC, regulated MPC expression, impacting stem cell differentiation and maintenance.