Metabolic and Mechanical Cues Regulating Pluripotent Stem Cell Fate

Tânia Perestrelo; Marcelo Correia; João Ramalho-Santos; Denis Wirtz

doi:10.1016/j.tcb.2018.09.005

Metabolic and Mechanical Cues Regulating Pluripotent Stem Cell Fate

Trends Cell Biol. 2018 Dec;28(12):1014-1029. doi: 10.1016/j.tcb.2018.09.005. Epub 2018 Oct 22.

Authors

Tânia Perestrelo¹, Marcelo Correia², João Ramalho-Santos³, Denis Wirtz⁴

Affiliations

¹ PhD Program in Experimental Biology and Biomedicine (PDBEB), Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IIIUC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 3030-789, Portugal; Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 3004-504, Portugal; Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Co-first authors.
² PhD Program in Experimental Biology and Biomedicine (PDBEB), Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IIIUC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 3030-789, Portugal; Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 3004-504, Portugal; Co-first authors; Current address: i3S (Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde) and IPATIMUP (Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto), University of Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal.
³ Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 3004-504, Portugal; Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 3000-456, Portugal. Electronic address: jramalho@uc.pt.
⁴ Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA. Electronic address: wirtz@jhu.edu.

PMID: 30361056
DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2018.09.005

Abstract

The ability to shift between metabolic states and to tightly regulate cellular mechanical properties have been described as crucial events in the achievement of correct embryonic development. Indeed, metabolic and mechanical manipulations in vitro have led to the discovery of new methods to control cell fate. As these two modulators are usually studied separately, in this review article, we describe how cellular mechanics and metabolic characteristics regulate embryonic development in vivo and describe the role of these cues in the regulation of pluripotency and differentiation in vitro. We also pinpoint possible connections between metabolism and mechanotransduction, highlighting recent findings in the Yes-associated protein, phosphoinositide 3-kinase, and AMP-activated protein kinase signaling pathways, and how they may be relevant in modulating cell fate in other contexts.

Keywords: Development; Mechanotransduction; Metabolism; Pluripotency; Stem cells.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Biomechanical Phenomena*
Cell Differentiation*
Humans
Pluripotent Stem Cells / cytology*
Pluripotent Stem Cells / metabolism*