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The protein kinase complex mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is a key cellular nutrient and energy sensor that integrates several inputs to regulate cell growth. Here, the authors discuss the molecular logic of the mTORC1 signalling network and its importance in coupling growth signals to the control of cellular metabolism.
Activation of tissue-resident myeloid cells in the brain, known as microglia, is thought to drive obesity-associated hypothalamic dysfunction. The authors of this Perspective present a more nuanced view of microglia, echoing lessons learned from the field of adipose macrophage biology: instead of simply responding to diet-induced damage, microglia are proposed to act as nutrient and environmental sensors that regulate hypothalamic physiology, a role that, if hijacked by chronic overnutrition, can produce disease.
Patients with severe diabetes rely on insulin injections to control their blood glucose. A study now provides evidence that human cells that normally do not release insulin can be converted into insulin-producing cells that are able to normalize glycaemia in diabetic mice.
The senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) is responsible for the deleterious effects of senescent cells in ageing and cancer. A new study shows that NAD+ metabolism can regulate the pro-inflammatory SASP, thereby promoting tumorigenesis.
A new study in C. elegans identifies a microRNA-dependent mechanism that enables olfactory neurons to rapidly regulate protein degradation in the intestine and therefore organismal ageing.
Like stem cells, cancer cells can rapidly proliferate but, unlike stem cells, they are mostly locked into a malignant identity. Here, Finley and Intlekofer highlight commonalities in anabolic pathways that support proliferation in cancer and stem cells, and point out unique metabolic features that influence self-renewal and differentiation.
Hypothalamic neuronal diversity is at the core of whole-body energy-homeostasis control, but the molecular mechanisms governing neuronal neuropeptide specification remain incompletely understood. A new study in Nature Metabolism adds a relevant piece to the puzzle of how key hypothalamic neuronal populations maintain their peptidergic identity throughout the lifespan.
The circulatory system in long bones is incompletely understood. A new study published in Nature Metabolism unveils the presence of dense vascular networks in long bones that facilitate the egress of bone marrow cells and potentially the exchange of nutrients between the bone marrow and the systemic circulation.
Adipose tissue responds to a variety of hormonal and environmental cues with changes in size, cellular composition and metabolic activity. Here Kajimura and Chouchani review our current understanding of adipocyte metabolism in physiology and metabolic disease, and they discuss strategies to reprogram adipocyte fate and metabolism.
Strategies to restore levels of the enzyme cofactor nicotinamide adenine dinclueotide (NAD) late in life to maintain health by treatment with NAD precursors, such as nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), represent an exciting area of research in aging and age-related diseases. A study in Nature Metabolism provides an answer to the hotly debated yet fundamental question: how NMN actually gets into cells.
Fibrosis is characterized by excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) production relative to catabolism. A new study shows that the fuel choice of fibroblasts impacts this balance, with glycolysis promoting ECM synthesis and fatty acid oxidation stimulating ECM degradation.
The growth of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) is a bio-energetically demanding process. Surprisingly, the specific role of mitochondria in angiogenesis remains unclear. A study in this issue of Nature Metabolism now demonstrates that mitochondrial respiration is essential for angiogenic growth by controlling endothelial proliferation.
The gut microbiome has emerged as an important regulator of host physiology and disease, including metabolic diseases. Here Cani et al. provide a broad overview of mechanisms through which the gut microbiota affects metabolic regulation in the host.
