The nuclear factor CECR2 promotes somatic cell reprogramming by reorganizing the chromatin structure.

Somatic cells can be reprogrammed into pluripotent stem cells with a minimal set of defined factors, Oct3/4, Sox2 and Klf4, also known as OSK,though this reprogramming is somewhat inefficient. Recent work has identified other nuclear factors, including SALL4, that can synergize with the OSK factors to improve reprogramming dynamics, [CG1] but the specific role of each of these factors remains poorly understood..by a set of defined factors. However, the reprogramming ability and underlying mechanism for each factor remains poorly understood. Here, we show Cecr2 as a target of SALL4 in accelerating OSK induced reprogramming. By screening a group of putative downstream targets, we identified CECR2, a histone acetyl-lysine reader, can significantly promote OKS induced reprogramming as a SALL4 effector. Mechanically, SALL4 activates Cecr2 by directly binging to its promotor region and CECR2 in turn promotes reprogramming through forming a SMARCA1-contained chromatin remodeling complex with its DTT domain. Our findings suggest that CECR2 is a novel reprogramming factors and it works through a protein network to overcome epigenetic barriers during reprogramming.