The development of a single fertilized egg into a complex, multicellular being depends on the differentiation of cells — a process that has traditionally been thought to be directed by our genes.
But a recent explosion of research shows that metabolism — the chemical reactions within cells that provide energy and materials for growth — helps direct the fate of embryonic cells, in ways that can be influenced by external factors such as diet and environment.
The research helps explain how an embryo develops and offers potential therapeutic targets for diseases such as cancer.
It shows that the nucleus of a cell, long considered primarily the site of gene activity, is a metabolic compartment in its own right, where many developmental decisions take place.
The activity of genes can be altered by modifying the epigenome, a subset of the DNA that regulates gene activity, and this process is itself driven by metabolism.
The discovery of this hidden, powerful metabolic activity opens a new and exciting field of research.
