EIF3D orchestrates the homeostasis of multiple signaling pathways governing the primed pluripotent stem cell identity

Pluripotent stem cell identities such as differentiation and infinite proliferation have long been decoded in the frameworks of transcription factor networks, epigenomes, and signal transduction, yet unclear and fragmented. However, directing attention toward translation regulation, the bridge between these events promises to provide new insights into previously unexplained mechanisms. Functional CRISPR interference screening led to the discovery that EIF3D maintains primed pluripotency via selective translation regulation. The loss of EIF3D unbalanced the pluripotency-associated signaling pathways, disrupting primed pluripotency. Furthermore, we found that EIF3D safeguards robust proliferation by managing the translation of multiple p53 regulators that maintain low p53 activity in the undifferentiated state. Therefore, this study provides a paradigm for selective translation regulation that defines the primed pluripotent stem cell identity.