Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2010 Feb 18.
Published in final edited form as: Curr Opin Chem Biol. 2007 Jul 25;11(4):357–366. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2007.05.036

Figure 1.

Figure 1

Stem cell fate and function are regulated by a combination of intrinsic programs and signals from the microenvironment. Intrinsic determinants can consist of both genetic and epigenetic components. For example, the molecular mechanisms underlying embryonic stem cell pluripotency have begun to be determined, including transcriptional regulatory networks initiated by the expression of Oct4, Sox2, and Nanog, as well as the expression of Polycomb group proteins and distinct chromatin dynamics [1]. In addition, the importance of environmental signals in stem cell function has been highlighted by the identification of distinct stem cell niches in a wide range of organ systems [4•,5]. Overall, high-throughput analysis of stem cells, utilizing both controlled cellular microenvironments and perturbations of intrinsic elements, can provide substantial insight into the factors governing stem cell biology.