The group of Ping GAO and Huafeng ZHANG at China University of Science and Technology have found that de novo FA synthesis controls cellular reprogramming and embryonic stem cell pluripotency through mitochondrial fission. Mechanistically, de novo FA synthesis regulated by the lipogenic enzyme ACC1 leads to the enhanced mitochondrial fission via (i) consumption of AcCoA which affects acetylation‐mediated FIS1 ubiquitin–proteasome degradation and (ii) generation of lipid products that drive the mitochondrial dynamic equilibrium toward fission.
CAS news release, April 10, 2017