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Updated: Jun 26, 2026
13:03
Epigenetic Regulation of Cardiac Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells and Tissues
Published on: June 3, 2016
Genetics and epigenetics: stability and plasticity during cellular differentiation.
1Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, 4058 Basel, Switzerland. fabio.mohn@fmi.ch
Trends in Genetics : TIG
|February 3, 2009
Summary
Stem cell differentiation involves balancing stability and plasticity through epigenetic regulation. Epigenetic mechanisms control gene expression, guiding cells toward new fates and suggesting co-evolution with regulatory DNA elements.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Epigenetics
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Stem cells and multipotent progenitor cells must maintain gene expression stability for self-renewal while adapting for differentiation.
- Epigenetic mechanisms, including chromatin and DNA methylation, are crucial for regulating gene expression during development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current models of epigenetic regulation during cellular differentiation.
- To propose that epigenetic repression targets share sequence features in regulatory regions.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent data on epigenetic regulation in stem cell differentiation.
- Analysis of models describing changes in chromatin and DNA methylation.
Main Results:
- Epigenetic mechanisms provide robustness to gene expression and direct cell fate during differentiation.
- Targets of epigenetic repression appear to share common regulatory sequence features.
Conclusions:
- Epigenetic pathways and cis-acting elements may have co-evolved.
- Understanding these mechanisms is key to controlling stem cell fate and differentiation.
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