Membrane potential drives the exit from pluripotency and cell fate commitment via calcium and mTOR.

ABSTRACT: Transitioning from pluripotency to differentiated cell fates is fundamental to both embryonic development and adult tissue homeostasis. Improving our understanding of this transition would facilitate our ability to manipulate pluripotent cells into tissues for therapeutic use. Here, we show that membrane voltage (V_m) regulates the exit from pluripotency and the onset of germ layer differentiation in the embryo, a process that affects both gastrulation and left-right patterning. By examining candidate genes of congenital heart disease and heterotaxy, we identify KCNH6, a member of the ether-a-go-go class of potassium channels that hyperpolarizes the V_m and thus limits the activation of voltage gated calcium channels, lowering intracellular calcium. In pluripotent embry

SUBMITTER: Sempou E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9637099 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature