Pluripotent stem cells exist in naive and primed states, epitomized by mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and the developmentally more advanced epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs; ref. 1). In the naive state of ESCs, the genome has an unusual open conformation and possesses a minimum of repressive epigenetic marks2. In contrast, EpiSCs have activated the epigenetic machinery that supports differentiation towards the embryonic cell types3–6. The transition from naive to primed pluripotency therefore represents a pivotal event in cellular differentiation. But the signals that control this fundamental differentiation step remain unclear. We show here that paracrine and autocrine Wnt signals are essential self-renewal factors for ESCs, and are required to inhibit their differentiation into EpiSCs. Moreover, we find that Wnt proteins in combination with the cytokine LIF are sufficient to support ESC self-renewal in the absence of any undefined factors, and support the derivation of new ESC lines, including ones from non-permissive mouse strains. Our results not only demonstrate that Wnt signals regulate the naive-to-primed pluripotency transition, but also identify Wnt as an essential and limiting ESC self-renewal factor.

Summary Embryonic stem cells form descendants of all three germ layers when differentiated as aggregates, termed embryoid bodies. In vivo, differentiation of cells depends on signals and morphogen gradients that provide instructive and positional cues, but do such gradients exist in embryoid bodies? We report here the establishment of anteroposterior polarity and the formation of a primitive streak-like region in the embryoid body, dependent on local activation of the Wnt pathway. In this region, cells undergo an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and differentiate into mesendodermal progenitors. Exogenous Wnt3a protein posteriorizes the embryoid body, resulting in predominantly mesendodermal differentiation. Conversely, inhibiting Wnt signaling promotes anterior character and results in neurectodermal differentiation. The activation of Wnt signaling and primitive streak formation requires external signals but is self-reinforcing after initiation. Our findings show that the Wnt pathway mediates the local execution of a gastrulation-like process in the embryoid body, which displays an unexpected degree of self-organization.

Members of the SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex are among the most frequently mutated genes in human cancer, but how they suppress tumorigenesis is currently unclear. Here, we use Drosophila neuroblasts to demonstrate that the SWI/SNF component Osa (ARID1) prevents tumorigenesis by ensuring correct lineage progression in stem cell lineages. We show that Osa induces a transcriptional program in the transit-amplifying population that initiates temporal patterning, limits self-renewal, and prevents dedifferentiation. We identify the Prdm protein Hamlet as a key component of this program. Hamlet is directly induced by Osa and regulates the progression of progenitors through distinct transcriptional states to limit the number of transit-amplifying divisions. Our data provide a mechanistic explanation for the widespread tumor suppressor activity of SWI/SNF. Because the Hamlet homologs Evi1 and Prdm16 are frequently mutated in cancer, this mechanism could well be conserved in human stem cell lineages. PAPERCLIP: