title: Epiblast and primitive endoderm differentiation: fragile specification ensures stable commitment.
abstract: Specification of the epiblast and primitive endoderm is one of the earliest differentiation steps during embryogenesis. In vitro tracking of pluripotency markers in ESCs suggests that epiblast specification may be plastic; however, live imaging of blastocysts, as detailed in a recent paper from Xenopoulos et al (2015), showed that, unlike in ESCs, fate commitment in vivo is largely irreversible.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Pluripotent Stem Cell Studies, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0047, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakai-Futatsugi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Pluripotent Stem Cell Studies, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0047, Japan. Electronic address: niwa@cdb.riken.jp.
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Niwa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D047108:Embryonic Development; D050993:GATA6 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D054262:Gastrulation; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005855:Germ Layers / Q000502:physiology*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D000071317:Nanog Homeobox Protein; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D050993:GATA6 Transcription Factor; C494760:Gata6 protein, mouse; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D000071317:Nanog Homeobox Protein; C475540:Nanog protein, mouse