HUES24 cell line was nucleofected with POU5f1 cDNA to overexpress OCT4; This leads to the formation of mesendodermal cells Short- and Long-scales intra- and inter-chromosomal interactions are linked to gene transcription, but the molecular event underlying these structures and how it affects cell fate decision during embryonic development are poorly understood. One of the first embryonic cell fate decisions (i.e mesendoderm determination) is driven by the POU factor OCT4, acting in concert with the high mobility group genes SOX-2 and SOX-17. Here, we identify novel chromatin remodelling mechanism and enhancer function driven by both OCT4 and SALL4 that mediate cell fate switching. We found that OCT4 alters the higher-order chromatin structure at both Sox-2 and Sox-17 loci. OCT4 titrates out cohesin and switches the Sox-17 enhancer from a locked (within an inter-chromosomal Sox-2 enhancer/CTCF/cohesin loop) to an active (within an intra-chromosomal Sox-17 promoter/enhancer/cohesin loop) state. SALL4 concomitantly mobilizes the polycomb complexes at the Soxs loci. Thus, OCT4/SALL4-driven cohesin-and polycombs-mediated changes in higher order chromatin structure mediate instruction of early cell fate in embryonic cells. ChIP anti-OCT4 on chip. results_v2.xls file description: Enriched binding sites. Mutant means oct4 overexpressing cells , wt GFP nucleofected cells.