UC Santa Cruz

Pluripotency establishment and maintenance are critical for both the development of mammalian embryos and the production of pluripotent stem cells. Investigations into the molecular mechanisms underlying pluripotency have revealed multiple signaling networks that generate diverse pluripotent states. The relationship between these networks, their upstream transcription factors, and their associated pluripotent states is complex and poorly understood in both pluripotent stem cells and embryos. In this thesis I examine three aspects of pluripotency regulation: the role of maternal transcription factors in embryogenesis, novel effects of genetic background and naivety on differentiation to placental stem cells, and the contribution of known stem cell factors to regulation of pluripotency in vivo.