A mitochondrial NADPH-cholesterol axis regulates extracellular vesicle biogenesis to support hematopoietic stem cell fate. Cell Stem Cell. 2024 Mar 07; 31(3):359-377.e10.

Citation

Bonora M, Morganti C, van Gastel N, Ito K, Calura E, Zanolla I, Ferroni L, Zhang Y, Jung Y, Sales G, Martini P, Nakamura T, Lasorsa FM, Finkel T, Lin CP, Zavan B, Pinton P, Georgakoudi I, Romualdi C, Scadden DT, Ito K. 2024. A mitochondrial NADPH-cholesterol axis regulates extracellular vesicle biogenesis to support hematopoietic stem cell fate. Cell stem cell. 31(3):359-377.e10. Pubmed: 38458178 DOI:S1934-5909(24)00047-X

Abstract

Mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation (FAO) is essential for hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal; however, the mechanism by which mitochondrial metabolism controls HSC fate remains unknown. Here, we show that within the hematopoietic lineage, HSCs have the largest mitochondrial NADPH pools, which are required for proper HSC cell fate and homeostasis. Bioinformatic analysis of the HSC transcriptome, biochemical assays, and genetic inactivation of FAO all indicate that FAO-generated NADPH fuels cholesterol synthesis in HSCs. Interference with FAO disturbs the segregation of mitochondrial NADPH toward corresponding daughter cells upon single HSC division. Importantly, we have found that the FAO-NADPH-cholesterol axis drives extracellular vesicle (EV) biogenesis and release in HSCs, while inhibition of EV signaling impairs HSC self-renewal. These data reveal the existence of a mitochondrial NADPH-cholesterol axis for EV biogenesis that is required for hematopoietic homeostasis and highlight the non-stochastic nature of HSC fate determination.

Related Faculty

David Scadden, M.D.

Scadden Lab

David Scadden’s laboratory is dedicated to discovering the principles governing blood cell production, with the ultimate goal of guiding the development of therapies for blood disorders and cancer.