RRC ID 83756
Author Wang Y, Papayova M, Warren E, Pears CJ.
Title mTORC1 pathway activity biases cell fate choice.
Journal Sci Rep
Abstract Pluripotent stem cells can differentiate into distinct cell types but the intracellular pathways controlling cell fate choice are not well understood. The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum is a simplified system to study choice preference as proliferating amoebae enter a developmental cycle upon starvation and differentiate into two major cell types, stalk and spores, organised in a multicellular fruiting body. Factors such as acidic vesicle pH predispose amoebae to one fate. Here we show that the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway has a role in cell fate bias in Dictyostelium. Inhibiting the mTORC1 pathway activity by disruption of Rheb (activator Ras homolog enriched in brain), or treatment with the mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin prior to development, biases cells to a spore cell fate. Conversely activation of the pathway favours stalk cell differentiation. The Set1 histone methyltransferase, responsible for histone H3 lysine4 methylation, in Dictyostelium cells regulates transcription at the onset of development. Disruption of Set1 leads to high mTORC1 pathway activity and stalk cell predisposition. The ability of the mTORC1 pathway to regulate cell fate bias of cells undergoing differentiation offers a potential target to increase the efficiency of stem cell differentiation into a particular cell type.
Volume 14(1)
Pages 20832
Published 2024-9-6
DOI 10.1038/s41598-024-71298-2
PII 10.1038/s41598-024-71298-2
PMID 39242621
PMC PMC11379915
MeSH Cell Differentiation* Dictyostelium* / genetics Dictyostelium* / metabolism Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase / genetics Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase / metabolism Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1* / metabolism Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins / genetics Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism Protozoan Proteins / genetics Protozoan Proteins / metabolism Signal Transduction* Sirolimus / pharmacology
IF 3.998
Resource
Cellular slime molds G90426