Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 22, 2025

Oct4GiP Reporter Assay to Study Genes that Regulate Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Maintenance and Self-renewal
Published on: May 30, 2012
Genes as Genome Stabilizers in Pluripotent Stem Cells
Asmita Karmakar1, Allan Blessing Harison Raj Augustine1, Rajkumar P Thummer2
1Laboratory for Stem Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam, India.
Abstract:
Pluripotent stem cells, comprising embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), are characterized by their self-renewal capacity and the ability to differentiate into cells of all three germ layers of an adult animal. Out of the two, iPSCs are generated through the reprogramming of somatic cells by inducing a pluripotency-specific transcriptional program. This process requires a resetting of the somatic cell genome to a pluripotent cell-specific genome, resulting in cellular stress at genomic, epigenetic, and transcriptional levels. Notably, in contrast to the predominant compact and inactive organization of chromatin in somatic cells, the chromatin in ESCs and iPSCs is open. Furthermore, maintaining a pluripotent state needs a plethora of changes in the genetic landscape of the cells. Here, we attempt to elucidate how certain genes safeguard genomic stability in ESCs and iPSCs, aiding in the complex cellular mechanisms that regulate self-renewal, pluripotency, and somatic reprogramming.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Maintenance of the ES Cell State
Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming
Chromatin Modification in iPS Cells
Compact chromatin makes reprogramming difficult. Enzymes, such as histone demethylases and acetyltransferases, are often added during reprogramming to loosen the chromatin, making the DNA more accessible to transcription factors. Molecules that inhibit histone...
Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming
Combinatorial Gene Control
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...
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Somatic...

