The ubiquitous transcription factor CTCF promotes lineage-specific epigenomic remodeling and establishment of transcriptional networks driving cell differentiation

Abstract

ell diíferentiation relies on tissue-specific transcription factors (TFs) that cooperate to establish unique tran-scriptomes and phenotypes. However, the role of ubiquitous TFs in these pro-cesses remains poorly deined. Recently, we have shown that the CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) is required for adipocyte differentiation through epigenomic remodelling of adipose tissue-speciic enhancers and transcriptional activation of Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG), the main driver of the adipogenic program (PPARG), and its target genes. Here, we discuss how these indings, together with the recent literature, illuminate a func-tional role for ubiquitous TFs in lineage-determining transcriptional networks.