Mesoderm

The zebrafish segmentation clock drives sequential segmentation of somites by periodically lowering double-phosphorylated Erk and therefore projecting its oscillation on the double-phosphorylated Erk gradient.

The plasma membrane’s electrical potential is maintained by ion channels, though the impact of this potential on cell fate has not been clearly elucidated. Here they show that changes in membrane potential can affect calcium levels and mTOR in pluripotent stem cells, altering their transition from pluripotency to differentiation.

How ribosomes differ in composition and function to regulate gene expression is poorly understood. Here, the authors show that ribosome composition changes during stem cell differentiation and identify a ribosomal protein that regulates production of the mesoderm lineage.

The single-cell transcriptional profile of a human embryo between 16 and 19 days after fertilization reveals parallels and differences in gastrulation in humans as compared with mouse and non-human primate models.

Human pluripotent stem cell aggregates are formed, embedded in Matrigel and directed to differentiate to heart-forming organoids by the chemical WNT pathway modulators CHIR99021 and IWP2.