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Stem cells

Escaping fates with open states

Nature volume 460, pages 802–803 (2009)Cite this article

The ability of embryonic stem cells to give rise to any cell type relies on a remodelling protein that maintains open chromatin. But the chromatin landscape of these cells may be more complex than previously thought.

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are ideal models for studying the molecular principles that dictate cell fate. ES cells can self-renew and form every type of cell in an organism — a property called pluripotency. It is well established that DNA-binding proteins set the stage for determining cell-type specificity by orchestrating complex patterns of gene expression1. However, DNA is tightly assembled with accessory proteins into a structure called chromatin, which limits its accessibility to regulatory proteins. Chromatin can be loosely packed, or 'open', allowing DNA-binding proteins ready access to the genome. Alternatively, it can be densely compacted, or 'closed', making the DNA relatively inaccessible2. On page 863 of this issue, Gaspar-Maia et al.3 provide evidence that chromatin structure is intimately connected with cell fate by showing that highly accessible chromatin is essential for the unique properties of stem cells.

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Figure 1: Chd1 and open chromatin.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Robert J. Sims III is in the Department of Biology, Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA. robert.sims@constellationpharma.com,

    Robert J. Sims III

  2. Department of Biochemistry, Danny Reinberg is at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York 10016, USA. reinbd01@nyumc.org,

    Danny Reinberg

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  1. Robert J. Sims III
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  2. Danny Reinberg
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Sims III, R., Reinberg, D. Escaping fates with open states. Nature 460, 802–803 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/460802a

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