Asymmetric apportioning of aged mitochondria between daughter cells is required for stemness

TLDR

Stem cells can sort mitochondria by age, enabling asymmetric division where one daughter retains stemness while the other differentiates, a process essential for tissue renewal in aging organisms. The study employed photoactivated marker proteins to track organelle age in human breast stem‑like cells and observe their allocation to daughter cells. The results showed that while most organelles were evenly distributed, stem‑like daughter cells preferentially acquired newly formed mitochondria and fewer aged ones. Katajisto et al., Science, this issue p.

Abstract

Stem cells can sort mitochondria by age The renewal of tissues in aging organisms requires stem cells, which have the unusual ability to divide asymmetrically into one daughter cell that retains stem cell properties and another that differentiates into a particular tissue type. Katajisto et al. used photoactivated marker proteins to monitor the age of cell organelles in stemlike cells from human breast tissue and their distribution into daughter cells. Most organelles were evenly distributed, but daughter cells that maintained stem-cell properties received more newly produced mitochondria and fewer old ones. Science , this issue p. 340