2006
Differentiating colonies of embryonic stem cells.
July 3, 2006
Stem cell immortality mechanism identified
Determining how embryonic stem cells make the choice between self-renewal and differentiation could help researchers better grasp the complex process of embryonic development and possibly lead to the development of stem cell-based regenerative therapies.
Nanog gene
morphogenetic protein (BMP)
stem cell pluripotency
fully pluripotent stem cells
Atsushi Suzuki et al.
report a crucial cellular pathway
that keeps mouse embryonic stem cells immortal. Although several extrinsic
and intrinsic factors are known to promote stem cell pluripotency, the
interactions between these factors are poorly understood. Suzuki et al.
found that a recently identified transcription factor, Nanog, promotes
self-renewal of mouse embryonic stem cells by blocking differentiation
induced by the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathway. Also,
the binding of other factors to an enhancer element in the Nanog gene caused
embryonic stem cells that had already begun to differentiate to revert
to fully pluripotent stem cells. The findings demonstrate the central importance
of Nanog to stem cell fate and illustrate mechanisms that underlie stem
cell immortality, information that could provide researchers with a blueprint
for directing stem cell differentiation. — M.M.
Gene Expression Laboratory
Stem Cell Research Center
Laboratory of Genetics
The Salk Institute for Biological
Studies
10010 North Torrey Pines Road,
La Jolla, CA 92037
Institució Catalana de
Recerca i Estudis Avançats and
Center of Regenerative Medicine,
Dr. Aiguader
80, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience
Graduate School of Biological
Sciences
Nara Institute of Science and
Technology
8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma 630-0101,
Japan
Full Text |
Edited by Irving L. Weissman
Stanford University School of
Medicine, Stanford, CA
approved May 19, 2006 (received
for review August 11, 2005)