Alpha-ketoglutarate: a "magic" metabolite in early germ cell development

Vivian Lu; Michael A Teitell

doi:10.15252/embj.2018100615

Alpha-ketoglutarate: a "magic" metabolite in early germ cell development

EMBO J. 2019 Jan 3;38(1):e100615. doi: 10.15252/embj.2018100615. Epub 2018 Oct 1.

Authors

Vivian Lu¹, Michael A Teitell^{2

3

4

5

6

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Affiliations

¹ Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
² Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
³ California NanoSystems Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁴ Department of Bioengineering, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁵ Molecular Biology Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁶ Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁷ Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Abstract

A causal relationship between cell metabolism and the fate of pluripotent stem cells through epigenome regulation is emerging. A recent study shows that the tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediate alpha‐ketoglutarate (αKG) can both sustain naïve mouse embryonic stem cell pluripotency and promote primordial germ cell differentiation. This observation together with other studies provides intriguing possibilities for stabilizing ephemeral embryonic cell states and enhancing desired fate transitions through specific metabolite manipulations.

Publication types

Comment

MeSH terms

Cell Differentiation
Germ Cells*
Ketoglutaric Acids*

Substances

Ketoglutaric Acids

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

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