Poldip2 takes a central role in metabolic reprograming

In 1951 Lester Reed isolated the first crystals of an “acetate-replacing factor”, appropriately named for its ability to replace acetate during the growth of lactic acid bacteria [1]; it was renamed α-lipoic acid (ALA) by Esmond Snell. After decades of research, we now recognize that ALA is a cyclic disulfide containing fatty acid that undergoes reversible redox ring opening/closing, which is coupled with the oxidative decarboxylation of α-keto acids. Thus, this essential prosthetic group occupies a critical position in energy metabolism by regulating the activity of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle