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Review
. 2023 Aug 15;136(16):jcs260787.
doi: 10.1242/jcs.260787. Epub 2023 Aug 15.

The role of metabolism in cellular quiescence

Yipeng Du  1 , Parul Gupta  1 , Shenlu Qin  1 , Matthew Sieber  1
Affiliations
Review

The role of metabolism in cellular quiescence

Yipeng Du et al. J Cell Sci. .

Abstract

Cellular quiescence is a dormant, non-dividing cell state characterized by significant shifts in physiology and metabolism. Quiescence plays essential roles in a wide variety of biological processes, ranging from microbial sporulation to human reproduction and wound repair. Moreover, when the regulation of quiescence is disrupted, it can drive cancer growth and compromise tissue regeneration after injury. In this Review, we examine the dynamic changes in metabolism that drive and support dormant and transiently quiescent cells, including spores, oocytes and adult stem cells. We begin by defining quiescent cells and discussing their roles in key biological processes. We then examine metabolic factors that influence cellular quiescence in both healthy and disease contexts, and how these could be leveraged in the treatment of cancer.

Keywords: Metabolism; Oocytes; Quiescence; Stem cells.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests The authors declare no competing or financial interests.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Differences between developmental and induced cellular quiescence. (A) In developmental quiescence, such as in oogenesis, cells can remain in quiescence until stimulated by a growth signal to ensure growth or maturation occurs when the environmental conditions are suitable. In induced quiescence, such as in cancer cells, cells reduce their metabolic, transcriptional and translational output to enter quiescence in response to environmental stress. (B) A graph depicting overall transcriptional and translational activity across several populations of ‘quiescent’ cells. Populations are ordered from lowest activity to highest activity.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Metabolic profiles of dormant versus transient quiescent cells. A schematic showing the key energetic differences between deeply dormant quiescent cells (oocytes and spores; top) and transiently quiescent cells (HSCs, resting T cells, other adult stem cells; bottom).
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Cellular quiescence in aging and disease. (A) A model reflecting how aging impairs stem cell function. First, stem cells might fail to maintain quiescence, leading to stem cell exhaustion or increased cancer susceptibility. Second, aging can impair stem cell activation, leading to impaired stem cell-mediated wound repair. (B) A summary of the metabolic conditions that can cause defects in cellular quiescence. Metabolic syndrome is commonly associated with fewer stem cells, reduce stem cell activity and defects in the timing of stem cell reactivation. (C) A model depicting how cellular quiescence can promote cancer recurrence by allowing cells to survive conventional therapies (radiation and chemotherapy).
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