Study of the transcriptional network regulation by TGF-beta/Smad family proteins in embryonic stem cells

PEREZ CASTRO, CAROLINA

Capital Federal

Workshop; Workshop/Evaluación del comité asesor externo del PAE 37075; 2009

Consorcio en Investigación de Células Madre (CICEMA)

Pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can be propagated in vitro under conditions that promote self-renewal. The transcription factors Oct-4, Sox2 and Nanog constitute a “core” to maintain self-renewal properties in ESCs. Also, the activities of members of the TGF-beta family, i.e. TGF-beta/Activin-like factors and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are required for the maintenance of ESCs self-renewal and pluripotency properties. Our hypothesis is signaling pathways of TGF beta through their transcriptional network can modulate the activities of the core transcriptional factors target genes, to affect the ESCs behavior in vitro.