Unique metabolic features of stem cells, cardiomyocytes, and their progenitors.
Recently, growing attention has been directed toward stem cell metabolism, with the key observation that the plasticity of stem cells also reflects the plasticity of their energy substrate metabolism. There seems to be a clear link between the self-renewal state of stem cells, in which cells proliferate without differentiation, and the activity of specific metabolic pathways. Differentiation is accompanied by a shift from anaerobic glycolysis to mitochondrial respiration. This metabolic switch of differentiating stem cells is required to cover the energy demands of the different organ-specific cell types. Among other metabolic signatures, amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism is most prominent in undifferentiated embryonic stem cells, whereas the fatty acid metabolic signature is unique in cardiomyocytes derived from embryonic stem cells. Identifying the specific metabolic pathways involved in pluripotency and differentiation is critical for further progress in the field of developmental biology and regenerative medicine. The recently generated knowledge on metabolic key processes may help to generate mature stem cell-derived somatic cells for therapeutic applications without the requirement of genetic manipulation. In the present review, the literature about metabolic features of stem cells and their cardiovascular cell derivatives as well as the specific metabolic gene signatures differentiating between stem and differentiated cells are summarized and discussed.
From the Center of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute of Neurophysiology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany (J.A.G., M.X.D., J.H., A.S.); and Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), Technical University of Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany (J.G.H., C.C.).
John Antonydas
JA
Gaspar
Michael Xavier
MX
Doss
Jan Georg
JG
Hengstler
Cristina
C
Cadenas
Jürgen
J
Hescheler
Agapios
A
Sachinidis
D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000378:metabolism*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*
D000596:Amino Acids; D005227:Fatty Acids
fatty acids; glycolysis; lactic acid; mitochondria; oxidative phosphorylation; stem cells; transcriptome