Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41106388›Full record

ArticleStem cell reports2025

mTORC2-mediated cell-cell interactions promote BMP4-induced WNT activation and mesoderm differentiation.

Li Tong, Faiza Batool, Yueh-Ho Chiu, Priscilla Di Wu, Yudong Zhou, Xiaolun Ma, Santosh Atanur, Wei Cui

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Stem cell reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Li TongInstitute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK.
Faiza BatoolInstitute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK.
Yueh-Ho ChiuInstitute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK.
Priscilla Di WuInstitute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK.
Yudong ZhouInstitute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK.
Xiaolun MaInstitute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK.
Santosh AtanurSection of Genetics and Genomics, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK.
Wei CuiInstitute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK. Electronic address: wei.cui@imperial.ac.uk.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 2 (mTORC2) is essential for embryonic development, but its underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we show that disruption of mTORC2 in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) considerably alters the Rho/Rac signaling dynamics and reduces E-cadherin expression and cell adhesion. Despite this, mTORC2-deficient hESCs maintain self-renewal and expression of pluripotent markers when cultured in mouse embryonic fibroblast conditioned medium (MEF-CM) supplemented with bFGF. However, these hESCs exhibit significantly impaired mesoderm and endoderm differentiation in response to BMP4 and Activin treatment, respectively, possibly due to reduced WNT activation mediated by cell-cell interactions. Direct activation of the WNT pathway using a GSK3 inhibitor restores mesendoderm differentiation in mTORC2-deficient hESCs. Our study uncovers a novel mechanism by which mTORC2 regulates cell fate determination and highlights a critical link between the intercellular adhesion and the activation of canonical WNT genes.

Indexed as

Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4Cell CommunicationCell DifferentiationMechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 2MesodermWnt ProteinsAnimalsCell AdhesionCell LineHuman Embryonic Stem CellsHumansMiceWnt Signaling PathwayBone Morphogenetic Protein 4Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 2Wnt ProteinsBMP4cell adhesioncell-cell interactionsgastrulationhuman embryonic stem cellsmesoderm/endoderm differentiationmTORC2WNT

Identifiers

PMID41106388
PMCPMC12790719

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.