DGCR8 acts as a transcriptional repressor by binding to target nascent RNAs and sequestering FLII. During implantation, ERK-induced FLII phosphorylation enables dissociation of the DGCR8/FLII complex and formation of the FLII/JUN complex, transiently activating cell migration genes to promote morphogenesis and establish poised pluripotency in implanting embryos. This research is published on Molecular Cell.

Two states of totipotency could be captured using splicing inhibition as a handle to reprogram human pluripotent stem cells. The first transient represents a distinct ZGA-like state that could subsequently transition into stable, totipotent blastomere-like cells that express pre-ZGA-specific genes. This research is published on Cell.