Epigenetic Landmarks During Somatic Reprogramming

Cells all share essentially the same genome, which is shaped by the developmental program to bring about various outcomes. It is well known that epigenetic regulation is a key process in determining the different cell functional output from the genetic information. Somatic reprogramming is a dramatic demonstration of this effect, and has opened the gate to the investigation of cell fate determination as cells reverse the developmental program. These studies have revealed which epigenetic marks set during normal development are important for cell specification. Here, we review the epigenetic landmarks that cells pass through during somatic reprogramming, and give an overview to the many remaining unclear epigenetic regulatory events that occurs during reprogramming. © 2016 IUBMB Life, 68(11):854-857, 2016.