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Updated: Jul 15, 2025

Analysis of Hematopoietic Stem Progenitor Cell Metabolism
Published on: November 9, 2019
ALKBH5 modulates hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell energy metabolism through m6A modification-mediated RNA
Yimeng Gao1, Joshua T Zimmer2, Radovan Vasic3
1Section of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale Cancer Center, and Yale Center for RNA Science and Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
Abstract:
N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification controls numerous cellular processes. To what extent these post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms play a role in hematopoiesis has not been fully elucidated. We here show that the m6A demethylase alkB homolog 5 (ALKBH5) controls mitochondrial ATP production and modulates hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) fitness in an m6A-dependent manner. Loss of ALKBH5 results in increased RNA methylation and instability of oxoglutarate-dehydrogenase (Ogdh) messenger RNA and reduction of OGDH protein levels. Limited OGDH availability slows the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle with accumulation of α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) and conversion of α-KG into L-2-hydroxyglutarate (L-2-HG). L-2-HG inhibits energy production in both murine and human hematopoietic cells in vitro. Impaired mitochondrial energy production confers competitive disadvantage to HSPCs and limits clonogenicity of Mll-AF9-induced leukemia. Our study uncovers a mechanism whereby the RNA m6A demethylase ALKBH5 regulates the stability of metabolic enzyme transcripts, thereby controlling energy metabolism in hematopoiesis and leukemia.
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