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Cellular metabolic demand skyrockets during intense exercise, thus rendering the communication of metabolic state essential for organismal homeostasis. Murphy, Watt and Febbraio discuss the physiological processes governing intertissue communication during exercise and the molecules mediating such cross-talk.
Hargreaves and Spriet review regulatory mechanisms of ATP resynthesis during exercise and summarize nutritional interventions that target muscle metabolism to enhance athletic performance.
The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) network integrates nutrient and energy signals that regulate metabolism and cell growth. Orozco et al. now show that the glycolytic intermediate dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) relays glycolytic activity to mTORC1 signalling.
GABA-expressing neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus regulate obesity in mice. A recent study indicates the importance of unexamined cell types.
AMPK is a crucial sensor of the cellular energetic state and is also activated during glucose starvation. A new study reports that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is activated by interaction with long-chain fatty acyl–CoA esters, which appear to be the long-sought endogenous AMPK ligands that bind the allosteric drug and metabolite (ADaM) site.
Zhang et al. discuss insights into the genetics of extreme human longevity and how genetics knowledge can be harnessed to guide the development of new therapies to extend human healthspan.
Diet and exercise are the two pillars of a healthful lifestyle for stemming the rising tide of metabolic disease. A new study in this issue reveals that the health benefits of diet and aerobic exercise are more interdependent than previously appreciated, thus reinforcing the importance of a holistic approach to maintaining a healthful lifestyle.
Caffa et al. report in Nature that hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer is sensitive to a form of ‘dietary augmentation therapy’ that implements periods of fasting, thus enhancing anti-cancer therapy.
In this issue of Nature Metabolism, Mi and colleagues provide evidence that super-enhancers play a critical role in autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and show that CDK7 targeting provides a novel therapeutic option.
A study published in this issue of Nature Metabolism adds to the emerging evidence that the small intestine is an initial site of dietary fructose metabolism, especially at low fructose doses, thus decreasing exposure of the liver and the colonic microbiome to intact fructose.
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is often characterized by substantial amounts of fibrosis, and how these stromal components affect metabolite availability is not fully understood. Zhu et al. now show that cancer-associated fibroblasts consume branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) at high levels but release corresponding branched-chain α-ketoacids that support PDAC cell growth.
The adipose tissue harbours multiple immune-cell types whose populations are known to be altered in disease conditions. A new study by Brigger et al. shows that restocking fat tissues of old mice with eosinophils prevents age-related declines in physical and immunological functions.
Selenium is a micronutrient essential for the generation of selenoproteins, which function predominantly by detoxifying cellular reactive oxygen species. In this issue, Carlisle et al. describe a novel mechanism whereby perturbing selenium utilization via inhibition of SEPHS2, a component of the selenocysteine-biosynthesis pathway, results in selenide poisoning and cancer cell death.
The importance of metabolism in the course of SARS-Cov-2 infection is highlighted by the metabolic comorbidities of COVID-19. In this Perspective, Ayres provides insight into how current knowledge of immunometabolism and metabolic diseases can inform the understanding of COVID-19 pathology, and proposes potential metabolism-based clinical solutions.
Maternal exercise during pregnancy results in metabolic benefits for offspring, but how mothers transfer these benefits to newborns has been a mystery. A new study now shows that a breast-milk component transmits the metabolic effects of exercise to offspring
The transition from senior postdoc to early-stage investigator is a pivotal step in the careers of academic scientists. In this series, early-stage investigators reflect on their labs’ first publications and the journeys that led them there.
Genetic-interaction mapping and co-essentiality analyses in human cells reveal the orphan gene C12orf49 (also known as SPRING1) as a novel regulator of lipid-metabolism homeostasis.
Whereas textbooks depict metabolism in perfect homeostasis, disturbances occur in real life. One particularly relevant disturbance, caused by excess food and alcohol consumption and exacerbated by genetics, is reductive stress. New work by Goodman et al. identifies a biomarker of reductive stress and uses a gene therapy solution in mice. This work suggests how exercise and an accessible nutritional technology can synergistically increase catabolism and relieve reductive stress.
Thermogenic adipocytes can burn lipids and carbohydrates for heat generation. The finding that a primate-specific long non-coding RNA regulates lipolysis and respiration in thermogenic adipocytes reveals a new mechanism controlling thermogenic adipocyte metabolism in humans.
