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Letter

Nature Cell Biology 8, 285–292 (1 March 2006) | doi:10.1038/ncb1372

The NuRD component Mbd3 is required for pluripotency of embryonic stem cells

Keisuke Kaji , Isabel Mart|[iacute]|n Caballero , Ruth MacLeod , Jennifer Nichols , Valerie A. Wilson & Brian Hendrich

Cells of early mammalian embryos have the potential to develop into any adult cell type, and are thus said to be pluripotent. Pluripotency is lost during embryogenesis as cells commit to specific developmental pathways.