Cell jamming transition is regulated by mitochondrial pyruvate transport and endocytosis.

Mitochondrial pyruvate transport regulates epithelial cell jamming and fluidity, with restricted import delaying the transition and increasing motility.

• Why it matters: Understanding how cellular programs control tissue dynamics is crucial for insights into development, injury repair, and disease, yet these mechanisms remain poorly defined.
• What they did: Using a controlled crowding model combined with live-cell imaging and multiomics, the study examined metabolic and cellular changes during epithelial jamming, focusing on mitochondrial pyruvate anaplerosis.
• The result: Blocking mitochondrial pyruvate import enhanced cell motility and delayed jamming by promoting cytoskeletal remodeling and macropinocytosis, revealing metabolic regulation of tissue fluidity.