Stem Cells Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Stem Cells, including details on research, transplants, therapy, benefits.

The caudal-related protein cdx2 promotes trophoblast differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells.

Tolkunova E, Cavaleri F, Eckardt S, Reinbold R, Christenson LK, Schöler HR, Tomilin A

Department of Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology, Stübeweg 51, 79108 Freiburg, Germany. tomilin@immunbio.mpg.de.

Besides holding great promise in clinics, embryonic stem (ES) cells represent a valuable tool for studying regulation of early developmental processes, such as cell differentiation in preimplantation embryos. The caudal-related homeobox protein Cdx2 is a transcriptional regulator essential for trophoblast lineage, functioning as early as implantation. Using an inducible system, we show that gain of Cdx2 function in ES cells triggers trophoblast-like morphological differentiation, accompanied by ploidy increase, onset of expression of trophoblast-specific markers, and loss of pluripotency-associated gene expression. These data provide an insight into the genetic network that controls lineage specification and functioning in early mammalian development.

Published 1 February 2006 in Stem Cells, 24(1): 139-44.
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