Dual Roles of Histone H3 Lysine 9 Acetylation in Human Embryonic Stem Cell Pluripotency and Neural Differentiation

Background: H3K9Ac is an epigenetic mark representing transcriptionally active chromatin. Results: Inhibition of HDAC activity promotes pluripotency maintenance at the initiation of hESC differentiation and inhibits neural differentiation during neural commitment stage. Conclusion: H3K9Ac plays dual roles in hESC pluripotency maintenance and neural differentiation through regulating different targets. Significance: This work provides insight into the epigenetic mechanisms underlying neural differentiation of hESCs associated with histone acetylation patterns.