The exit of naive pluripotency contains a metabolism-induced checkpoint for telomere homeostasis
During peri-implantation development, the pluripotent tissue of the early embryo undergoes profound cellular and biochemical reprogramming. These transformations are essential for subsequent development, yet how they are coordinated with the preservation of genome integrity remains poorly understood. Here, we uncover a telomere length checkpoint that is elicited by metabolic remodeling as mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) transition from the naive to formative pluripotent state. We show that the exit of naive pluripotency is marked by accelerated mitochondrial respiration and de novo lipogenesis, fueling lipid droplet accumulation required for tissue remodeling. Unexpectedly, these acute metabolic shifts trigger transient telomere shortening and activate ZSCAN4, a pluripotency-associated regulator of telomeres, followed by telomere re-elongation as cells adopt a more glycolytic metabolic profile. Our findings reveal a feedback mechanism in which metabolism-induced telomere stress engages ZSCAN4 as a protective response, thereby linking metabolic state to telomere homeostasis during early developmental progression.
Authors
- Bryony J. Leeke (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5572-8942)
- Megha Prakash Bangalore
- Hendrik Marks (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4198-3731)
- Michelle Percharde (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7928-4955)
- David Barneda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4436-4100)
- Joop H. Jansen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9459-568X)
- James K. Ellis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7553-4486)
- Nick G.P. Bovee
- Mark Christian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1616-4179)
- Clara Lopes Novo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1435-4136)
- Bebiana C. Sousa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1356-6789)
- Hector C. Keun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7358-8851)
- Donja Karimlou
- Roshni A. de Souza (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8288-588X)
- Mauricio Barahona (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1089-5675)
- Andrea F. Lopez‐Clavijo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6249-7767)
- Véronique Azuara (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4608-3713)
- Songyang Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6713-2532)
- Yuhan Zheng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2908-746X)
- Zijing Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0189-7409)
- Eveline J.E.M. Kahlman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3715-3303)
Institutions
- Babraham Institute (GB)
- Radboud University Nijmegen (NL)
- Radboud University Medical Center (NL)
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (NL)
- Imperial College London (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cell Reports
- Published
- 2025-12-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116654
- Primary Topic
- Telomeres, Telomerase, and Senescence
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00