Altered Subcellular Localization of Transcription Factor TEAD4 Regulates First Mammalian Cell Lineage Commitment

In the preimplantation mouse embryo TEAD4 is critical to establishing the trophectoderm (TE)-specific transcriptional program and segregating TE from the inner cell mass (ICM). However, TEAD4 is expressed both in the TE and the ICM. Thus, differential function of TEAD4 rather than expression itself regulates specification of the first two cell lineages. We used ChIP-seq to define genome-wide TEAD4 target genes and asked how transcription of TEAD4 target genes is specifically maintained in the TE. Our analyses revealed an evolutionarily conserved mechanism, in which lack of nuclear localization of TEAD4 impairs the TE-specific transcriptional program in inner blastomeres, thereby allowing their maturation towards the ICM lineage. Restoration of TEAD4 nuclear localization maintains the TE-specific transcriptional program in the inner blastomeres and prevents segregation of the TE and ICM lineages and blastocyst formation. We propose that altered subcellular localization of TEAD4 in blastomeres dictates first mammalian cell fate specification. ChIPseq profiles of TEAD4, IgG, Input in Mouse trophoblast stem cells using Illumina HiSeq 2000 and Illumina Genome Analyzer IIx