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Updated: May 12, 2026

Oct4GiP Reporter Assay to Study Genes that Regulate Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Maintenance and Self-renewal
Published on: May 30, 2012
FOXO4 is necessary for neural differentiation of human embryonic stem cells
David Vilchez1, Leah Boyer, Margaret Lutz
1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Glenn Center for Aging Research, Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
Abstract:
Proteostasis is critical for maintaining cell function and proteome stability may play an important role in human embryonic stem cell (hESC) immortality. Notably, hESC populations exhibit a high assembly of active proteasomes, a key node of the proteostasis network. FOXO4, an insulin/IGF-1 responsive transcription factor, regulates proteasome activity in hESCs. We find that loss of FOXO4 reduces the potential of hESCs to differentiate into neural lineages. Therefore, FOXO4 crosses evolutionary boundaries and links hESC function to invertebrate longevity modulation.
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