BEND3 safeguards pluripotency by repressing differentiation-associated genes
Fredy Kurniawan, Neha Chetlangia, Mohammad Kamran, Christophe E. Redon, Lőrinc Sándor Pongor, Qinyu Sun, Yo-Chuen Lin, Vijay Mohan, Oways Shaqildi, Darya Asoudegi, Qinyu Hao, Abid Khan, Mirit I. Aladjem, Kannanganattu V. Prasanth, Supriya G. Prasanth
Abstract
Significance The molecular basis of how the BEN domain–containing gene family regulates chromatin function and transcription remains to be elucidated. We report that BEND3 is highly expressed in pluripotent cells and binds to promoters of genes involved in differentiation. BEND3 regulates the expression of differentiation-associated genes by modulating the chromatin architecture at promoters. We propose that transcription repression mediated by BEND3 is essential for normal development and maintenance of pluripotency.