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[Publication] Mitochondrial cardiolipin remodeling facilitates efficient myoblast differentiation

November 19, 2025

Researchers from Bio2Q and Keio University found that mitochondrial lipid remodeling plays a key role in early muscle cell differentiation. They linked cardiolipin changes to mitochondrial activation, highlighting lipid metabolism as a regulator of muscle development and regeneration.

Title Mitochondrial cardiolipin remodeling facilitates efficient myoblast differentiation
Authors Yohsuke Ohba [1],[2], Chinami A. Fujiwara [1], Makoto Arita [1],[2],[3],[4]
Short Description Researchers at Bio2Q, Keio University, and collaborating institutions have uncovered a key role for mitochondrial membrane lipid remodeling in the early stages of myoblast differentiation. Through lipidomic analyses of differentiating muscle cells, researchers observed a sharp increase in linoleic acid (C18:2)-containing cardiolipin (CL) during the onset of differentiation. This remodeling correlates with increased expression of tafazzin, the mitochondrial enzyme responsible for cardiolipin maturation, and reflects a shift toward a more bioenergetically active mitochondrial state. Similar remodeling patterns were observed in differentiating primary skeletal muscle stem cells, indicating a conserved physiological mechanism. By linking cardiolipin remodeling to mitochondrial activation during differentiation, the study reframes lipid metabolism as an active regulatory layer in muscle development and regeneration.
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jlr.2025.100909
Journal Journal of Lipid Research
Vol/Num/Page 66(11) , 100909
Publication Date November 2025, 10009

Affiliations:
[1] Division of Physiological Chemistry and Metabolism, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
[2] Laboratory for Metabolomics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
[3] Cellular and Molecular Epigenetics Laboratory, Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama-City University, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
[4] Human Biology-Microbiome-Quantum Research Center (WPI-Bio2Q), Keio University, Tokyo, Japan

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