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Review
. 2021 Oct;39(10):1289-1297.
doi: 10.1002/stem.3425. Epub 2021 Jun 5.

Mitochondria in neurogenesis: Implications for mitochondrial diseases

Dario Brunetti  1   2 , Werner Dykstra  3 , Stephanie Le  4 , Annika Zink  4 , Alessandro Prigione  3   4
Affiliations
Free article
Review

Mitochondria in neurogenesis: Implications for mitochondrial diseases

Dario Brunetti et al. Stem Cells. 2021 Oct.
Free article

Abstract

Mitochondria are organelles with recognized key roles in cellular homeostasis, including bioenergetics, redox, calcium signaling, and cell death. Mitochondria are essential for neuronal function, given the high energy demands of the human brain. Consequently, mitochondrial diseases affecting oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) commonly exhibit neurological impairment. Emerging evidence suggests that mitochondria are important not only for mature postmitotic neurons but also for the regulation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) during the process of neurogenesis. These recent findings put mitochondria as central regulator of cell fate decisions during brain development. OXPHOS mutations may disrupt the function of NPCs and thereby impair the metabolic programming required for neural fate commitment. Promoting the mitochondrial function of NPCs could therefore represent a novel interventional approach against incurable mitochondrial diseases.

Keywords: induced pluripotent stem cells; mitochondria; mitochondrial diseases; neural progenitor cells; neurogenesis.

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References

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