REST knock-out ESCs: a role for REST in embryonic stem cells' cardiac lineage specification

During development, lineage specification is controlled by several signaling pathways involving various transcription factors (TFs). Here, we studied the RE1-silencing transcription factor (REST) and identified an important role of this TF in cardiac differentiation. Using mouse embryonic stem cells (ESC) to model development, we analyzed the effect of REST knock-out on the ability to these cells to differentiate into the cardiac lineage. Detailed analysis of specific lineage markers expression showed selective down-regulation of endoderm markers in REST-null cells, thus contributing to a loss of cardiogenic signals.

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Aksoy I, Marcy G, Chen J, Divakar U, Kumar V, John-Sanchez D, Rahmani M, Buckley NJ, Stanton LW