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Cited by 542

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 9 of the 9 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Pluripotency Factors in Embryonic Stem Cells Regulate Differentiation into Germ Layers

Open access
Thomson, Matt, Liu, Siyuan John, Zou, Ling-Nan, Smith, Zack, Meissner, Alexander, Ramanathan, Sharad·2011·Cell

Abstract

Cell fate decisions are fundamental for development, but we do not know how transcriptional networks reorganize during the transition from a pluripotent to a differentiated cell state. Here, we asked how mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) leave the pluripotent state and choose between germ layer fates. By analyzing the dynamics of the transcriptional circuit that maintains pluripotency, we found that Oct4 and Sox2, proteins that maintain ESC identity, also orchestrate germ layer fate selection. Oct4 suppresses neural ectodermal differentiation and promotes mesendodermal differentiation; Sox2 inhibits mesendodermal differentiation and promotes neural ectodermal differentiation. Differentiation signals continuously and asymmetrically modulate Oct4 and Sox2 protein levels, altering their binding pattern in the genome, and leading to cell fate choice. The same factors that maintain pluripotency thus also integrate external signals and control lineage selection. Our study provides a framework for understanding how complex transcription factor networks control cell fate decisions in progenitor cells.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.cell.2011.05.017

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Metadata

Authors
Thomson, M., Liu, S. J., Zou, L.-N., Smith, Z., Meissner, A., & Ramanathan, S.
Venue
Cell
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2011-06
Volume
145
Issue
6
Pages
875-889
ISSN
0092-8674 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2068780842
Cited by
542
References
9
FWCI
19.98
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
hybrid

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CoChat. (2026). Citation check: Pluripotency Factors in Embryonic Stem Cells Regulate Differentiation into Germ Layers. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1016/j.cell.2011.05.017
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Thomson, M., Liu, S. J., Zou, L.-N., Smith, Z., Meissner, A., & Ramanathan, S. (2011). Pluripotency Factors in Embryonic Stem Cells Regulate Differentiation into Germ Layers. Cell. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2011.05.017

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