Basic Biology I All of the diverse cells in a human body contain
the same genetic information, and originally arose from a single
cell, a fertilized egg. Embryogenesis is a result of cell
division followed by differential gene expression, to
selectively activate only the genes needed for development of
each specialized cell type. By understanding the multiple gene
activities required to either maintain stem cell pluripotency or
effect cell specific differentiation, it should be possible to
define conditions under which undifferentiated stem cells may be
grown in large volume in culture, or induced to become mature
cell types of therapeutic interest. The experiments described in
this proposal are directed at understanding the regulation of
gene expression in stem cells as they self-renew or exit the
pluripotent state and begin to differentiate. In preliminary
studies, our laboratory has identified two protein complexes,
SCC-A and SCC-B, required for the activity of genes needed for
stem cell self-renewal. Here