Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

During development, lineage specification is controlled by several signaling pathways involving various transcription factors (TFs). Here, we studied the RE-1-silencing transcription factor (REST) and identified an important role of this TF in cardiac differentiation. Using mouse embryonic stem cells (ESC) to model development, we found that REST knockout cells lost the ability to differentiate into the cardiac lineage. Detailed analysis of specific lineage markers expression showed selective downregulation of endoderm markers in REST-null cells, thus contributing to a loss of cardiogenic signals. REST regulates cardiac differentiation of ESCs by negatively regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and positively regulating the cardiogenic TF Gata4. We propose here a new role for REST in cell fate specification besides its well-known repressive role of neuronal differentiation.

Original publication

DOI

10.1002/stem.2304

Type

Journal article

Journal

Stem Cells

Publication Date

04/2016

Volume

34

Pages

860 - 872

Keywords

Cardiac lineage, Embryonic stem cells, Endoderm, GATA4, REST, Wnt signaling, Animals, Cell Differentiation, Cell Lineage, GATA4 Transcription Factor, Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental, Mice, Mice, Knockout, Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells, Myocytes, Cardiac, Repressor Proteins, Wnt Signaling Pathway