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Pancreatic islets are heterogeneous clusters of endocrine cells responsible for glucose homeostasis. Here Noguchi and Huising review the main stimuli for each islet-cell type and their response, guided by insights from islet-cell transcriptomes.
Systemic homeostasis is finely orchestrated by the action of several organs and molecules. Here Priest et al. provide a comprehensive review that highlights the inter-organ communication complexity in metabolic regulation.
Generally, most metabolic diseases are not caused by a mutation or defect in a single gene but instead are multi-factorial, resulting from a combination of genetic and environmental factors; thus, studying them requires a holistic approach. Here, Seldin and colleagues review systems genetics approaches, including their resources and advantages, for studying metabolic diseases.
The authors of this Review present a framework for understanding fundamental principles of metabolic regulation, drawing analogies between metabolic control and economic theory to discuss supply- and demand-driven metabolism.
Falkenberg et al. summarise major metabolic pathways operating in endothelial cells, discuss their roles in the growth and function of blood and lymph vessels, and highlight therapeutic opportunities that arise from targeting endothelial cell metabolism.
Jeffrey Friedman reviews the biology and evolutionary role of leptin as a regulator of behaviour and metabolism. He goes on to propose the existence of two states of obesity, distinguished by hyposecretion or hypersecretion of leptin, referred to as ‘Type 1 obesity’ and ‘Type 2 obesity’, respectively.
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.
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.
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.
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.
