Kruppel-Like Factor 4 (KLF4) and its Regulation on Mitochondrial Homeostasis

Mitochondria are vital organelles that supply ATP and other energy metabolites to meet the bioenergetics demands of the cell. In environments of stress or increased energy requirement, mitochondria are highly dynamic and can undergo biogenesis, fusion/fission, or autophagy. The transcription factor family, Kruppel-Like Factor (KLF), is necessary to carry out normal cellular processes from proliferation to differentiation. Recently, its importance in metabolic homeostasis in various tissue types has gained much attention. A handful of evidence supports KLF4’s involvement in regulating mitochondrial homeostasis in both healthy and cancer cells. In this review, we aim to summarize the available literature that demonstrates KLF4’s ability to modulate the mitochondrial life cycle in: Cardiac tissue, in which KLF4-knockdown subsequently leads to Heart Failure (HF), and Glioblastoma (GBM), where its expression promotes extensive mitochondrial fusion and offers mild cell protection under serum-deprivation.