Glycolytic activity regulates embryonic development!

The researchers investigate the role of metabolism during germ layer specification using a stem cell based model system for gastrulation. 

They demonstrate that beyond its bioenergetic function, glycolysis also acts as an upstream regulator of important developmental signaling pathways, thereby controlling mesoderm and endoderm induction in a dose dependent manner.

The authors show that glycolysis acts as an upstream regulator of Nodal and Wnt signaling and that its influence on cell fate specification can be decoupled from its effects on growth.

In addition, the authors found that glycolysis inhibition increases ectodermal cell fates at the expense of mesodermal and endodermal lineages.

https://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/fulltext/S1934-5909(25)00101-8

https://sciencemission.com/Glycolytic-activity-instructs-germ-layer-proportions