bims-mireme 2021-11-14 papers

on Mitochondria in regenerative medicine

Issue of 2021–11–14
two papers selected by
Brian Spurlock, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Regulation of energy metabolism in human pluripotent stem cells.
The role of mitochondria in cellular senescence.

Cell Mol Life Sci. 2021 Nov 13.

Regulation of energy metabolism in human pluripotent stem cells.

Weiwei Liu, Guokai Chen.

  All living organisms need energy to carry out their essential functions. The importance of energy metabolism is increasingly recognized in human pluripotent stem cells. Energy production is not only essential for cell survival and proliferation, but also critical for pluripotency and cell fate determination. Thus, energy metabolism is an important target in cellular regulation and stem cell applications. In this review, we will discuss key factors that influence energy metabolism and their association with stem cell functions.

Keywords:  Glycolysis; Insulin; Nutrient; Oxidative phosphorylation; Oxygen; pH

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-021-04016-0
FASEB J. 2021 Dec;35(12): e21991

The role of mitochondria in cellular senescence.

Shohini K Ghosh-Choudhary, Jie Liu, Toren Finkel.

  Mitochondria are intimately connected to cell fate and function. Here, we review how these intracellular organelles participate in the induction and maintenance of the senescent state. In particular, we discuss how alterations in mitochondrial metabolism, quality control and dynamics are all involved in various aspects of cellular senescence. Together, these observations suggest that mitochondria are active participants and are mechanistically linked to the unique biology of senescence. We further describe how these insights can be potentially exploited for therapeutic benefit.

Keywords:  aging; metabolism; mitophagy; reactive oxygen species; senolytic

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.202101462R