Unbiased discovery of genes required for pluripotency: Nr6a1.

Qualities of the stem cells of the embryo or the gametes include pluripotency and totipotency. Pluripotency as a quality that defines the embryonic stem cell is likely a process or entity distinguishable from the multi-lineage differentiation capacity that defines the HSC. We separated hematopoietic stem and embryonic stem programs for blind discovery of pluripotency-associated factors in the ES cell. We describe identification of Nr6a1 as a factor regulating or associated with pluripotency in human embryonic stem cells.