Epigenetics of embryonic stem cells

May 15, 2013

Epigenetic modifications play a major role in cell differentiation, helping to determine which genes are transcribed in divergent cell lines. But it is difficult to observe the DNA of individual cells of an embryo during development. A paper published in Cell last week (May 9) follows embryonic stem cells as they differentiate, showing that cells display different epigenetic modifications depending on their developmental stage. (The Scientist)