Nature Communications (Sep 2019)

Maternal pluripotency factors initiate extensive chromatin remodelling to predefine first response to inductive signals

  • George E. Gentsch,
  • Thomas Spruce,
  • Nick D. L. Owens,
  • James C. Smith

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-12263-w
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 1
pp. 1 – 22

Abstract

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Embryonic development produces different cell types in response to a small number of inductive signals. Here, the authors characterise how maternal factors modify chromatin to specify initial competence in Xenopus tropicalis, finding that the pioneering activity of the pluripotency factors Pou5f3 and Sox3 establishes competence for germ layer formation by remodelling chromatin before the onset of signalling.