Choreographing pluripotency and cell fate with transcription factors

The cellular identity of both pluripotent and differentiated cells is defined by the concerted interplay of transcriptional factors as well as other modulators such as epigenetic and signaling mediators. Therefore, the manipulation of a cell's transcriptional network directly facilitates inter-conversion between cellular identities. Understanding the molecular regulation of cell fate changes, including those involved in pluripotency, is crucial in realizing the practical potential of pluripotent and induced cell types. Here we review the advancements in the role of transcription factors in pluripotency, as well as in the conversion between and within pluripotent and somatic cell types.

► Regulation of cellular identity by transcription factors. ► Transition between cellular identities by manipulating transcriptional networks. ► Developments in unraveling the transcriptional circuitry of pluripotent states. ► Recent advancements in reprogramming and transdifferentiation.