Nanog in iPS cells and during reprogramming

VAZQUEZ ECHEGARAY, CAMILA; GUBERMAN, ALEJANDRA S.

Molecular Players in iPSC Technology

Elsevier

Lugar: Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB; Año: 2021; p. 319 - 348

The establishment of the very first induced pluripotent stem cells was a milestonethat started a new era with fascinating potential applications in regenerativemedicine and disease modeling. Surprisingly, the transcription factor Nanog wasnot required for this achievement, although its central role in the regulatorynetwork governs pluripotency during embryo development and in embryonic stemcells. Soon after, it emerged again revealing its crucial role during reprogramming.Mainly, Nanog rewires the transcriptional networks promoting self-renewal andblocking differentiation, both by fine-tuning epigenetic remodeling and by directinteraction with other transcription factors. Moreover, it has shown to be apromising oncogenic biomarker and therapeutic target, linking the research fieldsof stem cells and cancer. Focusing on the central question of how terminallydifferentiated cells go back to reach pluripotency through the reprogrammingprocess, in this chapter we review outstanding studies that evidence the crucial roleof Nanog in ground state pluripotency acquisition during reprogramming and themechanisms involved in its function.