Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 5, 2026

Isolation and Cultivation of Neural Progenitors Followed by Chromatin-Immunoprecipitation of Histone 3 Lysine 79 Dimethylation Mark
Published on: January 26, 2018
Trimethylation and Acetylation of β-Catenin at Lysine 49 Represent Key Elements in ESC Pluripotency
Katrin Hoffmeyer1, Dirk Junghans2, Benoit Kanzler3
1Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany; Emeritus Laboratory Rolf Kemler, Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, 79108 Freiburg, Germany.
Abstract:
Wnt/β-catenin signaling is required for embryonic stem cell (ESC) pluripotency by inducing mesodermal differentiation and inhibiting neuronal differentiation; however, how β-catenin counter-regulates these differentiation pathways is unknown. Here, we show that lysine 49 (K49) of β-catenin is trimethylated (β-catMe3) by Ezh2 or acetylated (β-catAc) by Cbp. Significantly, β-catMe3 acts as a transcriptional co-repressor of the neuronal differentiation genes sox1 and sox3, whereas β-catAc acts as a transcriptional co-activator of the key mesodermal differentiation gene t-brachyury (t-bra). Furthermore, β-catMe3 and β-catAc are alternatively enriched on repressed or activated genes, respectively, during ESC and adult stem cell differentiation into neuronal or mesodermal progenitor cell lineages. Importantly, expression of a β-catenin K49A mutant results in major defects in ESC differentiation. We conclude that β-catenin K49 trimethylation and acetylation are key elements in regulating ESC pluripotency and differentiation potential.
More Related Videos
11:53An Alternative Culture Method to Maintain Genomic Hypomethylation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Using MEK Inhibitor PD0325901 and Vitamin C
Published on: June 1, 2018
10:28Repressing Gene Transcription by Redirecting Cellular Machinery with Chemical Epigenetic Modifiers
Published on: September 20, 2018
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...
Histone Modification
Acetylation
The enzyme histone acetyltransferase adds acetyl group to the histones. Another enzyme, histone...
Maintenance of the ES Cell State
Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming
Catenins
Catenins in Cell Junctions
Catenins bind to cell adhesion molecules such as cadherins and link them to different cytoskeletal proteins depending on the type of cell junction. At the...
Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming