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Published on: February 28, 2013
The role of metabolic states in development and disease
Matthew H Sieber1, Allan C Spradling1
1Department of Embryology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Labs, Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States.
Abstract:
During development, cells adopt distinct metabolic strategies to support growth, produce energy, and meet the demands of a mature tissue. Some of these metabolic states maintain a constrained program of nutrient utilization, while others providing metabolic flexibility as a means to couple developmental progression with nutrient availability. Here we discuss our understanding of metabolic programs, and how they support specific aspects of animal development. During phases of rapid proliferation a subset of metabolic programs provide the building blocks to support growth. During differentiation, metabolic programs shift to support the unique demands of each tissue. Finally, we discuss how a model system, such as Drosophila egg development, can provide a versatile platform to discover novel mechanisms controlling programmed shift in metabolism.
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