Unique metabolic regulation of micromeres contributes to their inductive signaling in the sea urchin embryo

ABSTRACT:

In many multicellular organisms, a group of cells called organizers plays critical roles by sending signals to adjacent cells and controlling patterning events such as embryogenesis and tissue morphogenesis. Recent studies suggest that these organizers or inductive cells facilitate the downstream signaling pathways conserved across organisms. However, what makes these cells fundamentally inductive is little understood. Micromeres of the sea urchin embryo formed at the 16-cell stage are one of such organizers initially identified over a century ago. In this study, we demonstrate that the micromeres have distinct metabolic properties compared to the rest of the embryo. The specific metabolic inhibitors for sugar metabolism (2-DG), fatty acid synthesis (cerulenin) and N-linked glycosylation (tunicamycin) compromise micromeres Einductive signaling, altering the downstream germ layer patterning in the resultant embryos. These phenotypes were partially rescued by restoring ER homeostasis. Notably, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) asymmetrically localizes toward the vegetal pole during asymmetric cell division, resulting in enriched ER and Wnt protein localization at the vegetal cortex of micromeres. Metabolic inhibition appears to compromise ER activity in Wnt particle distribution. Based on these observations, we propose that micromere ER is sensitive to specific metabolic regulation, contributing to the inductive signaling activity. This study provides a paradigm of how ER and metabolic regulation contribute to the inductive capability of the cells, which may also be conserved in the organizers and inductive cells of other organisms.

INSTRUMENT(S): Gas Chromatography MS -

PROVIDER: MTBLS5017 | MetaboLights | 2025-07-07

REPOSITORIES: MetaboLights