Nanog in Mammalian ESC Pluripotency

Nanog, Oct4, and Sox2 are transcription factors that promote self-renewal and pluripotency of embryonic stem cells (ESCs), which are derived from the inner cell mass (ICM) of blastocysts. Of these, Nanog is the primary regulator, with the ability to proliferate ESCs even in the absence of certain external stimuli, and induce pluripotency in already differentiated cells. LIF, BMP, and WNT stimulate ESCs through the JAK-STAT, SMAD, and beta-catenin pathways, resulting in the expression of Nanog and the maintenance of pluripotent status.

 

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