Selective RNA sequestration in biomolecular condensates directs cell fate transitions.

Conserved, cell type-specific RNA sequestration in P-bodies directs stem cell fate transitions across vertebrates, enabling control over cell identity.

• Why it matters: Understanding how RNA condensates influence cell fate is crucial for advancing regenerative medicine and developmental biology, yet the mechanisms remain unclear.
• What they did: They profiled transcriptomes of P-bodies in various vertebrate developmental stages, revealing conserved sequestration of translationally repressed RNAs and manipulating P-body assembly or microRNA activity to influence stem cell differentiation.
• The result: Manipulating P-body components and microRNA pathways successfully directed mouse and human pluripotent stem cells toward totipotency or germ cell lineages, linking RNA condensates to cell fate decisions.