Glycolytic suppression of cell adhesion promotes thyroid morphogenesis in response to nutrition.

Glycolytic activity suppresses cell adhesion, promoting thyroid morphogenesis in Xenopus tadpoles, with a 50% increase in follicle formation under glycolytic conditions.

• Why it matters: Understanding how environmental factors like nutrition influence organ development is crucial, as systemic signals can significantly alter cellular behaviors during morphogenesis, yet this link remains poorly defined.
• What they did: The study used RNA-seq, immunostaining, and functional assays to analyze thyroid regions in fed and unfed tadpoles, focusing on gene expression related to cell adhesion and glycolytic activity.
• The result: Findings show that glycolytic activity reduces E-cadherin-mediated adhesion, facilitating follicle formation and multi-luminal structure development, thereby revealing metabolic control over organ morphogenesis.