Open AccessEngineered Zinc Finger Proteins for Controlling Stem Cell Fate
Author(s) -
Bartsevich Victor V.,
Miller Jeffrey C.,
Case Casey C.,
Pabo Carl O.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
stem cells
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.159
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1549-4918
pISSN - 1066-5099
DOI - 10.1634/stemcells.21-6-632
Subject(s) - biology , zinc finger , embryonic stem cell , microbiology and biotechnology , transcription factor , stem cell , progenitor cell , cellular differentiation , cell fate determination , zinc finger transcription factor , regulation of gene expression , gene , computational biology , genetics
Stem cells are functionally defined as progenitor cells that can self‐renew and differentiate. Critical transitions in these cells are controlled via signaling pathways and subsequent transcriptional regulation. Technologies capable of modulating the levels of gene expression, especially those of transcription factors, represent powerful tools for research and could potentially be used in therapeutic applications. In this study, we evaluated the ability of synthetic zinc finger protein transcription factors (ZFP‐TFs) to cause the differentiation of embryonic stem (ES) cells. We constructed ZFP‐TFs that target the mouse Oct‐4 gene (which is a major regulator of ES cell pluripotency and self‐renewal). These designed transcription factors were able to regulate the transcription of Oct‐4, affecting the expression of downstream genes and thus regulating ES cell differentiation.