From the onset of fertilization, the genome undergoes cell division and differentiation. All of these developmental transitions and differentiation processes include cell-specific signatures and gradual changes of the epigenome. Understanding what keeps stem cells in the pluripotent state and what leads to differentiation are fascinating and biomedically highly important issues. Numerous studies have identified genes, proteins, microRNAs and small molecules that exert essential effects. Notably, there exists a core pluripotency network that consists of several transcription factors and accessory proteins. Three eminent transcription factors, OCT4, SOX2 and NANOG, serve as hubs in this core pluripotency network. They bind to the enhancer regions of their target genes and modulate, among others, the expression levels of genes that are associated with Gene Ontology terms related to differentiation and self-renewal. Also, much has been learned about the epigenetic rewiring processes during these changes of cell fate. For example, DNA methylation dynamics is pivotal during embryonic development. The main goal of this review is to highlight an intricate interplay of (a) DNA methyltransferases controlling the expression levels of core pluripotency factors by modulation of the DNA methylation levels in their enhancer regions, and of (b) the core pluripotency factors controlling the transcriptional regulation of DNA methyltransferases. We discuss these processes both at the global level and in atomistic detail based on information from structural studies and from computer simulations.

从受精开始，基因组就经历了细胞分裂和分化。所有这些发育过渡和分化过程均包括表观基因组的细胞特异性标记和逐渐变化。了解使干细胞保持多能状态以及导致分化的原因是令人着迷的且在生物医学上极为重要的问题。许多研究已经鉴定出发挥重要作用的基因，蛋白质，微小RNA和小分子。值得注意的是，存在由多个转录因子和辅助蛋白组成的核心多能网络。OCT4，SOX2和NANOG这三个重要的转录因子在这个核心的多能网络中充当枢纽。它们与目标基因的增强子区域结合并进行调控，与与分化和自我更新有关的基因本体论术语相关的基因的表达水平。同样，在细胞命运的这些变化过程中，关于表观遗传重布线过程的知识也很多。例如，DNA甲基化动力学在胚胎发育过程中至关重要。这篇综述的主要目的是强调（a）通过调节增强子区域中DNA甲基化水平来控制核心多能性因子表达水平的DNA甲基转移酶和（b）控制转录的核心多能性因子之间的复杂相互作用。 DNA甲基转移酶的调节。我们基于结构研究和计算机模拟的信息，在全球范围内和原子细节上讨论这些过程。