Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 13, 2026

Repressing Gene Transcription by Redirecting Cellular Machinery with Chemical Epigenetic Modifiers
Published on: September 20, 2018
Class IIa histone deacetylases and myocyte enhancer factor 2 proteins regulate the mesenchymal-to-epithelial
Qiang Zhuang1, Xiaobing Qing, Yue Ying
1Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou 510530, China and.
Abstract:
Class IIa histone deacetylases (HDACs) and myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) proteins compose a signaling module that orchestrates lineage specification during embryogenesis. We show here that this module also regulates the generation of mouse induced pluripotent stem cells by defined transcription factors. Class IIa HDACs and MEF2 proteins rise steadily during fibroblast reprogramming to induced pluripotent stem cells. MEF2 proteins tend to block the process by inducing the expression of Tgfβ cytokines, which impairs the necessary phase of mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET). Conversely, class IIa HDACs endeavor to suppress the activity of MEF2 proteins, thus enhancing the MET and colony formation efficiency. Our work highlights an unexpected role for a developmental axis in somatic cell reprogramming and provides new insight into how the MET is regulated in this context.
Related Concept Videos
Chromatin Modification in iPS Cells
Compact chromatin makes reprogramming difficult. Enzymes, such as histone demethylases and acetyltransferases, are often added during reprogramming to loosen the chromatin, making the DNA more accessible to transcription factors. Molecules that inhibit histone...
Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming
Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming
Master Transcription Regulators
Maintenance of the ES Cell State
Histone Modification
Acetylation
The enzyme histone acetyltransferase adds acetyl group to the histones. Another enzyme, histone deacetylase,...
