Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 11, 2026

Utilizing Murine Inducible Telomerase Alleles in the Studies of Tissue Degeneration/Regeneration and Cancer
08:34

Utilizing Murine Inducible Telomerase Alleles in the Studies of Tissue Degeneration/Regeneration and Cancer

Published on: April 13, 2015

Krüppel-like transcription factor 4 contributes to maintenance of telomerase activity in stem cells

Chui-Wei Wong1, Pei-Shan Hou, Shun-Fu Tseng

  • 1Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.

Stem Cells (Dayton, Ohio)
|July 15, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) regulates human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) expression, impacting cancer and stem cell proliferation. KLF4 activates hTERT in some cells while its reduction lowers hTERT in cancer cells.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research
  • Stem Cell Biology

Background:

  • Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) is involved in cancer and stem cell regulation.
  • KLF4's precise roles and targets in these processes remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the link between KLF4 and telomerase regulation.
  • To elucidate KLF4's contribution to cancer formation and stem cell maintenance.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of KLF4's effect on human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) expression.
  • Identification of KLF4 binding sites in the hTERT promoter.
  • Examination of KLF4 and hTERT interplay in various cell types, including human embryonic stem cells.

Main Results:

  • KLF4 activates hTERT expression in telomerase-low ALT and fibroblast cells.
  • Downregulation of KLF4 reduces hTERT expression in cancer and stem cells.
  • KLF4 binds to the hTERT promoter, mediating hTERT induction.
  • hTERT expression compensates for KLF4 in maintaining human embryonic stem cell self-renewal.

Conclusions:

  • hTERT is a key target of KLF4 in cancer and stem cells.
  • KLF4-mediated hTERT regulation is crucial for long-term cellular proliferation potential.

More Related Videos

Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity; A Yin and Yang of Cell Senescence12:08

Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity; A Yin and Yang of Cell Senescence

Published on: May 22, 2013

Oct4GiP Reporter Assay to Study Genes that Regulate Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Maintenance and Self-renewal08:01

Oct4GiP Reporter Assay to Study Genes that Regulate Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Maintenance and Self-renewal

Published on: May 30, 2012

Related Concept Videos

Maintenance of the ES Cell State01:14

Maintenance of the ES Cell State

The cells of the blastocyst inner cell mass only remain pluripotent for a short time. This state of pluripotency and self-renewal can be maintained in embryonic stem (ES) cell culture by adding specific chemicals or growth factors to ensure the cells can continue dividing and later differentiate into different cell types. In some cases, the cells are grown on a feeder layer of differentiated cells, which provides the growth factors and extracellular matrix components necessary for stem cell...
Telomeres and Telomerase02:41

Telomeres and Telomerase

In eukaryotic DNA replication, a single-stranded DNA fragment remains at the end of a chromosome after the removal of the final primer. This section of DNA cannot be replicated in the same manner as the rest of the strand because there is no 3’ end to which the newly synthesized DNA can attach. This non-replicated fragment results in gradual loss of the chromosomal DNA during each cell duplication. Additionally, it can induce a DNA damage response by enzymes that recognize single-stranded DNA.
Telomeres and Telomerase02:41

Telomeres and Telomerase

In eukaryotic DNA replication, a single-stranded DNA fragment remains at the end of a chromosome after the removal of the final primer. This section of DNA cannot be replicated in the same manner as the rest of the strand because there is no 3’ end to which the newly synthesized DNA can attach. This non-replicated fragment results in gradual loss of the chromosomal DNA during each cell duplication. Additionally, it can induce a DNA damage response by enzymes that recognize single-stranded DNA.
Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming01:29

Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming

Reprogramming alters the gene expression in somatic cells, transforming them into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells over several generations. Scientists can reprogram cells by introducing genes for four transcription factors—Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc (OSKM) by viral or non-viral methods. These factors are also known as Yamanaka factors after Shinya Yamanaka, who first generated iPS cells using mouse skin cells. Yamanaka was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012 for this...
Replicative Cell Senescence02:15

Replicative Cell Senescence

Replicative cell senescence is a property of cells that allows them to divide a finite number of times throughout the organism's lifespan while preventing excessive proliferation. Replicative senescence is associated with the gradual loss of the telomere — short, repetitive DNA sequences found at the end of the chromosomes. Telomeres are bound by a group of proteins to form a protective cap on the ends of chromosomes. Embryonic stem cells express telomerase — an enzyme that adds the telomeric...
Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming01:24

Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming

Nuclear reprogramming is a process of transforming one cell type into an unrelated cell type by epigenetic changes that alter the cell’s original gene expression pattern. Such epigenetic changes force cells to express a different set of genes, which play a significant role in inducing transformation into other cell types. Nuclear reprogramming offers applications in reproductive cloning for livestock propagation and regenerative medicine — developing patient-specific cells for injury repair.