Neural stem cell metabolism revisited: a critical role for mitochondria

Metabolism has emerged as a key regulator of stem cell behavior. Mitochondria are crucial metabolic organelles that are important for differentiated cells, yet considered less so for stem cells. However, recent studies have shown that mi-tochondria influence stem cell maintenance and fate decisions, inviting a revised look at this topic. In this review, we cover the current literature addressing the role of mitochondrial metabolism in mouse and human neural stem cells (NSCs) in the embryonic and adult brain. We summarize how mitochondria are implicated in fate regulation and how substrate oxidation affects NSC quies-cence. We further explore single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data for met-abolic signatures of adult NSCs, highlight emerging technologies reporting on metabolic signatures, and discuss mitochondrial metabolism in other stem cells.

Automated summary

Recent studies have shown that mitochondria play a significant role in the maintenance and fate decisions of stem cells, challenging previous assumptions. This review focuses on the role of mitochondrial metabolism in mouse and human neural stem cells (NSCs) in both embryonic and adult brain, discussing its implications on fate regulation and quiescence. The review also highlights the metabolic signatures of adult NSCs through single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data and explores mitochondrial metabolism in other types of stem cells.