Alpha-ketoglutarate: a "magic" metabolite in early germ cell development

A causal relationship between cell metabolism and the fate of pluripotent stem cells through epigenome regulation is emerging. A recent study shows that the tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediate alpha-ketoglutarate (αKG) can both sustain naïve mouse embryonic stem cell pluripotency and promote primordial germ cell differentiation. This observation together with other studies provides intriguing possibilities for stabilizing ephemeral embryonic cell states and enhancing desired fate transitions through specific metabolite manipulations.
Source: EMBO Journal - Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Tags: Development & Differentiation, Metabolism, Stem Cells News [amp ] Views Source Type: research