Lipid Metabolism Remodeling in Human Cardiomyocyte Differentiation and Maturation

In this study, the low-input trace lipidomics approach was utilized to analyze the dynamic changes of lipidomics during the differentiation process of human cardiomyocytes.Overall, our findings indicate that lipid species undergo a transition: from simple hydrocarbons with lower saturation in early embryonic stem cells to more complex lipids with longer hydrocarbon chains and higher unsaturation in later stages during CM differentiation. The simple lipid species in the early stage are suited for rapidly assembling basic membrane structures and serving as raw materials for synthesizing complex lipid molecules. In contrast, the complex lipid species in the later stage are crucial for maintaining membrane stability and fluidity during CM contraction; they can also act as second messengers to participate in more complex cellular signaling.
Furthermore, the remodeling of the lipidome during this process partly reflects the metabolic transition from a glycolysis-dominated stem cell state to mature CMs reliant on oxidative phosphorylation. Current research remains in the basic stage. Future studies can build on the current findings regarding lipid unsaturation and specific lipid changes during cardiac differentiation to investigate related regulatory genes, further clarifying their regulatory mechanisms and deeper physiological roles.