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Stem cells

A case of metabolic identity in the intestinal crypt

Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology volume 14, page 259 (2017)Cite this article

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How does metabolism contribute to epithelial renewal in the intestinal crypt? According to a new study published in Nature, LGR5+ crypt base columnar cells (CBCs) and Paneth cells — key constituents of the intestinal stem cell niche — have different metabolic identities. Furthermore, this study reveals novel mechanisms supporting intestinal stem cell function that could have important implications for targeting cancer stem cells.

In the latest study, Maria Rodríguez-Colman and colleagues first analysed the metabolomes of LGR5+ CBCs and Paneth cells from the small intestine of mice using fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Principal component analysis of the data showed distinct clustering of the metabolic profiles conforming to the different cell identities. Measurement of pyruvate:lactate ratio, used to ascertain the contribution of mitochondrial respiration versus glycolysis, revealed significantly higher mitochondrial activity in LRG5+ CBCs than Paneth cells.

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References

  1. Rodríguez-Colman, M. J. et al. Interplay between metabolic identities in the intestinal crypt supports stem cell function. Nature 543, 424–427 (2017)

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  1. Iain Dickson
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Dickson, I. A case of metabolic identity in the intestinal crypt. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 14, 259 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2017.41

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