Transcription programs in embryonic stem cells<unk>  is a transcription factor in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and is thought to be a key factor in maintaining pluripotency.<unk>  is thought to function in concert with other factors such as POU5F1 (Oct-4) and SOX2 to establish ESC identity. These cells offer an important area of study because of their ability to maintain pluripotency. In other words, these cells have the ability to become virtually any cell of any of the three germ layers (endoderm, ectoderm, mesoderm). It is for this reason that understanding the mechanisms that maintain a cell's pluripotency is critical for researchers to understand how stem cells work, and may lead to future advances in treating degenerative diseases.<unk>  has been described to be expressed in the posterior side of the epiblast at the onset of gastrulation. There,<unk>  has been implicated in inhibiting embryonic hematopoiesis by repressing the expression of the transcription factor Tal1. In this embryonic stage,<unk>  represses Pou3f1, a transcription factor crucial for the anterior-posterior axis formation. Analysis of arrested embryos demonstrated that embryos express pluripotency marker genes such as POU5F1,<unk>  and Rex1. Derived human ESC lines also expressed specific pluripotency markers: *TRA-1-60 *TRA-1-81 *SSEA4 *alkaline phosphatase *TERT *Rex1 These markers allowed for the differentiation in vitro and in vivo conditions into derivatives of all three germ layers. POU5F1, TDGF1 (CRIPTO), SALL4, LECT1, and BUB1 are also related genes all responsible for self-renewal and pluripotent differentiation. The<unk> <unk>  has been found to be a transcriptional activator for the Rex1 promoter, playing a key role in sustaining Rex1 expression. Knockdown of<unk>  in embryonic stem cells results in a reduction of Rex1 expression, while forced expression of<unk>  stimulates Rex1 expression. Besides the effects of<unk>  in the embryonic stages of life, ectopic expression of<unk>  in the adult stem cells can restore the proliferation and differentiation potential that is lost due to organismal aging or cellular senescence.
Homeobox protein NANOG
SOX gene family
Winged-helix transcription factors
Sp1 transcription factor
Mir-590 microRNA precursor family
Testis-determining factor
Mir-3180 microRNA precursor family
Mir-618 microRNA precursor family