Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Reprogramming Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts with Transcription Factors to Induce a Hemogenic Program
11:00

Reprogramming Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts with Transcription Factors to Induce a Hemogenic Program

Published on: December 16, 2016

The four reprogramming factors and embryonic development in mice

Xingrong Yan1, Shumin Yu, Anmin Lei

  • 1Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, People's Republic of China.

Cellular Reprogramming
|October 13, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Paternal genetic background influences embryo development. Key transcription factors (Oct4, Sox2, c-Myc, Klf4) show varied expression in oocytes, impacting in vitro development of parthenogenetic and cloned embryos.

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive biology
  • Stem cell research
  • Developmental biology

Background:

  • Transcription factors Oct4, Sox2, c-Myc, and Klf4 are crucial for induced pluripotent stem cell generation.
  • These factors are present in metaphase II oocytes and embryonic stem cells (ESCs).
  • Ooplasmic reprogramming mechanisms during nuclear transfer are hypothesized to involve these four factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the influence of paternal genetic background on in vitro development of parthenogenetic and cloned embryos.
  • To analyze the expression levels of Oct4, Sox2, and c-Myc in oocytes from different genetic backgrounds.

Main Methods:

  • Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to quantify mRNA levels.
  • Expression analysis was performed on oocytes from different mouse strains (KM, C3H, KM x C3H) and ESCs.

Main Results:

  • Oct4 expression in oocytes was lower than in ESCs.
  • Oocytes from KM x C3H females exhibited the highest Sox2 expression compared to other strains and G1 ESCs.
  • c-Myc mRNA levels were higher in oocytes from KM mice than in ESCs or oocytes from KM x C3H mice.
  • Significant differences in transcription factor expression were observed among oocytes from different genetic backgrounds.

Conclusions:

  • The varying expression of Oct4, Sox2, and c-Myc in oocytes suggests a role for these factors in differential developmental efficiencies.
  • Paternal genetic background impacts the expression of key pluripotency factors in oocytes.
  • These molecular differences may explain variations in the success rates of parthenogenesis and cloned embryo development in vitro.

More Related Videos

Generation of Mice Derived from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells11:56

Generation of Mice Derived from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Published on: November 29, 2012

Loss- and Gain-of-function Approach to Investigate Early Cell Fate Determinants in Preimplantation Mouse Embryos08:43

Loss- and Gain-of-function Approach to Investigate Early Cell Fate Determinants in Preimplantation Mouse Embryos

Published on: June 6, 2016

Related Concept Videos

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.
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...
Combinatorial Gene Control02:33

Combinatorial Gene Control

Combinatorial gene control is the synergistic action of several transcriptional factors to regulate the expression of a single gene. The absence of one or more of these factors may lead to a significant difference in the level of gene expression or repression.
The expression of more than 30,000 genes is controlled by approximately 2000-3000 transcription factors. This is possible because a single transcription factor can recognize more than one regulatory sequence. The specificity in gene...