Orphan nuclear receptor GCNF is required for the repression of pluripotency genes during retinoic acid-induced embryonic stem cell differentiation.

ABSTRACT: Embryonic stem (ES) cell pluripotency and differentiation are controlled by a network of transcription factors and signaling molecules. Transcription factors such as Oct4 and Nanog are required for self-renewal and maintain the undifferentiated state of ES cells. Decreases in the expression of these factors indicate the initiation of differentiation of ES cells. Inactivation of the gene encoding the orphan nuclear receptor GCNF showed that it plays an important role in the repression of Oct4 expression in somatic cells during early embryonic development. GCNF-/- ES cells were isolated to study the function of GCNF in the down-regulation of pluripotency genes during differentiation. Loss of repression of ES cell marker genes Oct4, Nanog, Sox2, FGF4, and Stella was observed upon treatment of

SUBMITTER: Gu P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1265758 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature