Neural stem cells generate new neurons throughout life in distinct regions of the mammalian brain. This process, called adult neurogenesis, is important for tissue homeostasis and physiological brain function. In addition, failing or altered neurogenesis has been associated with a number of diseases such as major depression and epilepsy. Thus, understanding the molecular mechanisms governing the neurogenic process in the adult brain may enable future therapeutic approaches to target neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) and their progeny to ameliorate disease symptoms and/or disease progression. Recently, the control of cellular metabolism has emerged as a regulator of NSPC activity in the adult brain. Here we review recent findings that attempt to describe stage-specific modulations of metabolism to ensure proper neurogenesis and suggest future avenues of research aiming to understand how metabolism affects NSPC behavior.

The discovery of continuous generation of functional neurons throughout life has emerged as a major contributor to plasticity in defined regions of the adult mammalian brain. Work over the past decades identified cellular constituents of the distinct adult neurogenic niches as well as numerous signaling pathways, transcriptional and epigenetic regulators that exert tight control over the production of new neurons from resident stem cells. Recent studies uncovered developmental stage-specific adaptations of metabolic circuits and have provided evidence for their central regulatory function in the adult neurogenic lineage. Moreover, there is increasing evidence for a regulatory impact of a wide range of systemic metabolic factors including exercise induced metabolic changes and diet on the development of adult-born neurons. Here, we will summarize current knowledge and emerging principles underlying the metabolic control of neuronal maturation in adult neurogenesis.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are stem cells from mesodermal derivation that reside in bone marrow and provide blood cells for the whole life of an adult individual, through a process called hematopoiesis. The long lasting support of HSCs for hematopoiesis is permitted by the fine regulation of quiescence and division output. Exit from the quiescent state is to produce a committed and/or stem daughter cells, in an event defined asymmetric or symmetric division. A deregulation in the proportion between asymmetric and symmetric divisions is critical in the appearance of hematological disorders ranging from bone marrow failure to hematological malignancies. Over the past years, several studies have indicated how the metabolism of HSCs is determinant in the regulation of HSC quiescence and commitment process. A metabolism shifted to the glycolytic pathway promotes HSCs quiescence and sustainment of hematopoiesis. Boosting mitochondrial respiration promotes the stem cell commitment followed by stem pool exhaustion, and minimal mitochondrial activity is required to maintain the HSCs quiescence. In the present review are discussed the most recent advances in comprehension of the roles of mitochondria in the hematopoiesis and in the division balance.

Endothelial cells (ECs) line blood vessels and function as a vital conduit for oxygen and nutrients, but can also form vascular niches for various types of stem cells. While mostly quiescent throughout adult life, ECs can rapidly switch to a highly active state, and start to sprout in order to form new blood vessels. ECs can also become dysfunctional, as occurs in diabetes and atherosclerosis. Recent studies have demonstrated a key role for EC metabolism in the regulation of angiogenesis, and showed that EC metabolism is even capable of overriding genetic signals. In this review, we will review the basic principles of EC metabolism and focus on the metabolic alterations that accompany EC dysfunction in diabetes and vessel overgrowth in cancer. We will also highlight how EC metabolism influences EC behavior by modulating post-translational modification and epigenetic changes, and illustrate how dietary supplementation of metabolites can change EC responses. Finally, we will discuss the potential of targeting EC metabolism as a novel therapeutic strategy.

Owing to their capacity for self-renewal and pluripotency, stem cells possess untold potential for revolutionizing the field of regenerative medicine through the development of novel therapeutic strategies for treating cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Central to developing these strategies is improving our understanding of biological mechanisms responsible for governing stem cell fate and self-renewal. Increasing attention is being given to the significance of metabolism, through the production of energy and generation of small molecules, as a critical regulator of stem cell functioning. Rapid advances in the field of metabolomics now allow for in-depth profiling of stem cells both in vitro and in vivo, providing a systems perspective on key metabolic and molecular pathways which influence stem cell biology. Understanding the analytical platforms and techniques that are currently used to study stem cell metabolomics, as well as how new insights can be derived from this knowledge, will accelerate new research in the field and improve future efforts to expand our understanding of the interplay between metabolism and stem cell biology.

The global prevalence of metabolic disorders is an immediate threat to human health. Genetic features, environmental aspects and lifestyle changes are the major risk factors determining metabolic dysfunction in the body. Autophagy is a housekeeping stress-induced lysosomal degradation pathway, which recycles macromolecules and metabolites for new protein synthesis and energy production and regulates cellular homeostasis by clearance of damaged protein or organelles. Recently, a dramatically increasing number of literatures has shown that defects of the autophagic machinery is associated with dysfunction of multiple metabolic tissues including pancreatic β cells, liver, adipose tissue and muscle, and is implicated in metabolic disorders such as obesity and insulin resistance. Here in this review, we summarize the representative works on these topics and discuss the versatile roles of autophagy in the regulation of cellular metabolism and its possible implication in metabolic diseases.

Hunger, mostly initiated by a deficiency in energy, induces food seeking and intake. However, the drive toward food is not only regulated by physiological needs, but is motivated by the pleasure derived from ingestion of food, in particular palatable foods. Therefore, feeding is viewed as an adaptive motivated behavior that involves integrated communication between homeostatic feeding circuits and reward circuits. The initiation and termination of a feeding episode are instructed by a variety of neuronal signals, and maladaptive plasticity in almost any component of the network may lead to the development of pathological eating disorders. In this review we will summarize the latest understanding of how the feeding circuits and reward circuits in the brain interact. We will emphasize communication between the hypothalamus and the mesolimbic dopamine system and highlight complexities, discrepancies, open questions and future directions for the field.

Plant cell culture in bioreactors is an enabling tool for large scale production of clonal elite plants in agriculture, horticulture, forestry, pharmaceutical sectors, and for biofuel production. Advantages of bioreactors for plant cell culture have resulted in various types of bioreactors differing in design, operating technologies, instrumentations, and construction of culture vessels. In this review, different types of bioreactors for clonal propagation of plants and secondary metabolites production are discussed. Mechanical and biochemical parameters associated with bioreactor design, such as aeration, flow rate, mixing, dissolved oxygen, composition of built-up gas in the headspace, and pH of the medium, are pivotal for cell morphology, growth, and development of cells within tissues, embryos, and organs. The differences in such parameters for different bioreactor designs are described here, and correlated to the plant materials that have been successfully cultured in different types of bioreactors.