Abscission Couples Cell Division to Embryonic Stem Cell Fate

Area of Science:

• Cell biology
• Developmental biology
• Stem cell biology

Background:

• Cell fate transitions are crucial for development and maintaining tissue homeostasis.
• While cell division influences fate decisions in some stem cells, its role in embryonic stem (ES) cells is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of cell division in regulating the exit from naive pluripotency in mouse ES cells.
• To elucidate the specific mechanisms by which cell division influences pluripotency exit.

Main Methods:

• Observation of cell division and cytoplasmic bridges in mouse ES cells.
• Manipulation of abscission timing during cell division.
• Correlation analysis of abscission timing and pluripotency exit.

Main Results:

• Exit from naive pluripotency in mouse ES cells typically follows cell division.
• Sister cells exhibit correlated exit timing, linked by persistent cytoplasmic bridges.
• Abscission, the final stage of cell division, progressively accelerates as cells exit pluripotency.
• Interfering with abscission delays pluripotency exit, while artificial induction accelerates it.

Conclusions:

• A shift in the cell division machinery, specifically accelerated abscission, regulates the exit from naive pluripotency.
• Abscission is identified as a critical cellular process connecting cell division to cell fate transitions in ES cells.