Cripto-1 is required for hypoxia to induce cardiac differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells.

ABSTRACT: Cripto-1 is a membrane-bound protein that is highly expressed in embryonic stem cells and in human tumors. In the present study, we investigated the effect of low levels of oxygen, which occurs naturally in rapidly growing tissues, on Cripto-1 expression in mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells and in human embryonal carcinoma cells. During hypoxia, Cripto-1 expression levels were significantly elevated in mES cells and in Ntera-2 or NCCIT human embryonal carcinoma cells, as compared with cells growing with normal oxygen levels. The transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha directly regulated Cripto-1 expression by binding to hypoxia-responsive elements within the promoter of mouse and human Cripto-1 genes in mES and NCCIT cells, respectively. Furthermore, hypoxia modulated different

SUBMITTER: Bianco C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2774077 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature