ES cells (embryonic stem cells) derived from the ICM (inner cell mass) of blastocysts are pluripotent and are capable of giving rise to most cell types. The ES cell identity is mainly maintained by the Oct4 (octamer-binding transcription factor 4) and Nanog transcriptional networks. Recently, a tremendous amount of work has focused on deciphering how ES cell identity is regulated epigenetically. It has been shown that histone methylation/demethylation, histone acetylation/deacetylation, histone variants and chromatin remodelling play crucial roles in ES cell maintenance and differentiation. Moreover, perturbation of those chromatin regulators results in loss of ES cell identity or aberrant differentiation. Therefore, it is important to fully understand the chromatin regulation landscape of ES cells. The knowledge gained will help us to harness the unique characteristics of ES cells for stem cell-related therapy and regenerative medicine. In the present review, we will discuss recent proceedings that provide novel insights into chromatin regulation of ES cell identity.
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