Serine synthesis pathway regulates cardiac differentiation from human pluripotent stem cells

Summary: Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte (hPSC-CM) differentiation can improve using chemical compounds which mimic early heart development. However, variations in hPSC-CM differentiation efficiency and its poor reproducibility have remained a challenge. Here, we report a unique me...

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Main Authors: Tomohiko C. Umei, Shugo Tohyama, Yuika Morita-Umei, Manami Katoh, Seitaro Nomura, Kotaro Haga, Takako Hishiki, Tomomi Matsuura, Hidenori Tani, Yusuke Soma, Otoya Sekine, Masatoshi Ohno, Masashi Nakamura, Taijun Moriwaki, Yoshikazu Kishino, Keiichi Fukuda, Masaki Ieda
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:iScience
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004225011046
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Summary:Summary: Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte (hPSC-CM) differentiation can improve using chemical compounds which mimic early heart development. However, variations in hPSC-CM differentiation efficiency and its poor reproducibility have remained a challenge. Here, we report a unique metabolic method to promote hPSC-CM differentiation that involves marked suppression of the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation from the mesendoderm to the cardiac mesoderm, which is regulated by PHGDH, a rate-limiting enzyme in the serine synthesis pathway. Mechanistically, PHGDH inhibition impairs mitochondrial respiration by blocking the electron transport chain, resulting in elevated ROS levels and promoting the cardiomyocyte lineage specification by disrupting the cardiopharyngeal mesoderm lineage differentiation. Additionally, antioxidant supplementation can scavenge ROS and eliminate the effects of PHGDH inhibition. Collectively, our findings show that serine synthesis pathway can regulate cardiomyocyte lineage specification and have implications in providing a cellular source for transplantation and elucidating the potential mechanisms of heart development and pathogenesis of heart disease.
ISSN:2589-0042