Functions of BMP signaling in embryonic stem cell fate determination

Embryonic stem (ES) cells, which can self-renew and can differentiate to various cell types, have great potential applications in regenerative medicine. BMP family members are evolutionarily conserved factors that play critical roles in embryogenesis and in adult tissue homeostasis in multicellular organisms, and their malfunction can lead to various human diseases. Consistent with its importance in early embryogenesis, BMP signaling has been established as a key determinant that directs a wide range of cell fate choices in both mouse and human embryonic stem cells, from self-renewal maintenance to multiple differentiation processes. Remarkably, BMPs exert their diverse functions via integrating with signal inputs from other extrinsic signals and intrinsic factors, including transcription factors and epigenetic regulators. Here we summarize the current understanding of BMP signaling in embryonic stem cell fate determination, and discuss the delicate cooperation between BMP signaling and its partners in these processes. The principles learned from these studies would pave a road for the potential medical applications of embryonic stem cells.