Unique metabolic regulation of micromeres contributes to gastrulation in the sea urchin embryo

During development, a group of cells called organizers plays critical roles by sending signals to adjacent cells and controlling embryonic and tissue patterning. Recent studies suggest that these inductive cells facilitate the downstream signaling pathways conserved across organisms. However, what makes these cells fundamentally inductive is little understood. In this study, we demonstrate that the micromeres of the sea urchin, one of the known organizers, have distinct metabolic properties compared to the rest of the embryo. The specific metabolic inhibitors for sugar metabolism (2-DG), fatty acid synthesis (cerulenin), and N-linked glycosylation (tunicamycin) compromise micromeres’ regulatory capacity, altering the downstream germ layer patterning in the resultant embryos. Notably, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) asymmetrically localizes during asymmetric cell division, resulting in the enrichment of ER and Wnt protein at the vegetal cortex of micromeres. Metabolic inhibition appears to compromise ER activity in Wnt particle distribution. We propose that the micromere ER is sensitive to specific metabolic regulation, contributing to the inductive signaling activity. This study provides a paradigm of how ER and metabolic regulation contribute to the inductive capability of the cells.