An esiRNA-based approach to study reciprocal transcriptional regulation of TGFbeta family signaling components in ES cell identity and neural conversion.

Progressive loss of potency and acquisition of lineage specification of stem cells are regulated at the epigenetic, transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels and mediated by growth factors. In this project we study the effects of esiRNA-based perturbation of TGFbeta family controlled signalling in embryonic stem cells and focus on their stem cell identity, but also differentiation. We will quantify how carefully selected TGFbeta family components affect upon perturbation the intra-TGFbeta family transcriptional relationships. These phenotypic signatures will feed a bio-informatics effort for identifying patterns of synexpressions between the components and regulated candidate genes involved in system control. When successful, this approach holds strong promise for other screens in other stem cell types for other growth factor signaling cascades.

Keywords:RNAi screens, TGFbeta signalling, Stem cells, Pluripotency, Differentiation

Disciplines:Animal biology, Genetics