Abscission couples cell division to embryonic stem cell fate

Cell fate transitions are key to development and homeostasis. It is thus essential to understand the cellular mechanisms controlling fate transitions. Cell division has been implicated in fate decisions in many stem cells, including neuronal and epithelial progenitors. In other stem cells, such as embryonic stem (ES) cells, the role of division remains unclear. Here we show that exit from naive pluripotency in mouse ES cells generally occurs after a division. We further show that exit timing is strongly correlated between sister cells, which remain connected by cytoplasmic bridges long after division, and that bridge abscission progressively accelerates as cells exit naive pluripotency. Finally, interfering with abscission impairs exit from naive pluripotency. Altogether, our data indicate that a switch in the division machinery leading to faster abscission is crucial for pluripotency exit. Our study identifies abscission as a key step coupling cell division to fate transitions.