Navigating the Lipid Landscape: The Role of Fatty Acid Synthase in Neural Stem Cell Fate and Central Nervous System...

Lipids play a critical role in both the brain's structure and function by serving as a primary component of cell membranes and myelin sheaths. They help impart structural stability and fluidity to neuronal membranes that are crucial to synaptic plasticity and signal transduction. Importantly, the equilibrium between lipid production and degradation dictates a stem cell's fate. Lipid metabolism is an essential controller that affects how a stem cell commits to a particular cell lineage by differentiating into a specific cell type or staying undifferentiated and self-renewing. In order to maintain an elevated level of proliferation, cancer cells frequently exhibit an increased de novo lipogenesis (DNL) flow. Most malignancies overexpress the DNL enzyme fatty acid synthase (FAS), which is essential for fatty acid synthesis. There is mounting proof suggesting that FAS has a role in various cancer-related features, which are connected to its capacity to stimulate cell proliferation through the production of membranes. Beyond structural roles, lipids act as signaling molecules, including second messengers like diacylglycerol and arachidonic acid derivatives, which modulate neurotransmitter release. Moreover, this enzyme plays a pivotal role in adult stem cells, especially in neural stem cells (NSCs). This review aimed to study the role of lipids and FAS in CNS biological functions and pathological effects. Also, we delve into the role of FAS in NSC behavior to better elucidate the effects of this enzyme on the fate of such stem cells.