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TGF‐β control of stem cell differentiation genes
Author(s) -
Massagué Joan,
Xi Qiaoran
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/j.febslet.2012.03.023
Subject(s) - smad , chromatin , embryonic stem cell , biology , stem cell , cellular differentiation , microbiology and biotechnology , induced pluripotent stem cell , transforming growth factor , signal transduction , genetics , gene
The canonical TGF‐β/Smad signaling pathway was delineated in the mid 90s and enriched over the past decade with many findings about its specificity, regulation, networking, and malfunctions in disease. However, a growing understanding of the chromatin status of a critical class of TGF‐β target genes – the genes controlling differentiation of embryonic stem cells – recently prompted a reexamination of this pathway and its critical role in the regulation of stem cell differentiation. The new findings reveal master regulators of the pluripotent state set the stage for Smad‐mediated activation of master regulators of the next differentiation stage. Furthermore, a novel branch of the TGF‐β/Smad pathway has been identified in which a chromatin‐reading Smad complex makes the master differentiation genes accessible to canonical Smad complexes for transcriptional activation. These findings provide exciting new insights into the global role of TGF‐β signaling in the regulators of stem cell fate.