{"id":{"repo_id":"mit","oai_identifier":"oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/72631"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mit/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/72631","repository":{"repo_id":"mit","name":"MIT","base_url":"https://dspace.mit.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Sox2 co-occupies distal enhancer elements with cell-type-specific POU factors to specify cell identity in embryonic stem cells and neural precursor cells","abstract":"Sox2 is a master regulator of two distinct cellular states, that of pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and multipotent neural progenitor cells (NPCs), but what common or distinct roles Sox2 may play in these cell types not fully understood. Further, the molecular mechanisms by which Sox2 can specify two distinct cell identities are as of yet unclear. This thesis is aimed at answering these fundamental questions. In ESCs, Sox2 was associated with a subset of poised regulators of nervous system development, and upon differentiation into NPCs Sox2 selectively activates those which are important for progenitor cell state, while keeping others poised to become activated in later neural development. These data suggested that Sox2 might act as a pioneer factor for neural development throughout embryogenesis. While Sox2 is known to co-occupy target loci in ESCs with the POU factor Oct4, in NPCs Sox2 interacts with the central-nervous-system-expressed POU factors Brn1 and Brn2. By utilizing distinct composite Sox:Octamer motifs in each cell type, Sox2:POU modules control the expression of thousands of genes involved in the development of the neural lineage in a cell-type-specific manner. These data advance our understanding of the mechanism by which transcription factors control cell fate transitions, and indicate that combinatorial interactions between transcription factors may be a pervasive mechanism of transcriptional control in development","abstract_html":"Sox2 is a master regulator of two distinct cellular states, that of pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and multipotent neural progenitor cells (NPCs), but what common or distinct roles Sox2 may play in these cell types not fully understood. Further, the molecular mechanisms by which Sox2 can specify two distinct cell identities are as of yet unclear. This thesis is aimed at answering these fundamental questions. In ESCs, Sox2 was associated with a subset of poised regulators of nervous system development, and upon differentiation into NPCs Sox2 selectively activates those which are important for progenitor cell state, while keeping others poised to become activated in later neural development. These data suggested that Sox2 might act as a pioneer factor for neural development throughout embryogenesis. While Sox2 is known to co-occupy target loci in ESCs with the POU factor Oct4, in NPCs Sox2 interacts with the central-nervous-system-expressed POU factors Brn1 and Brn2. By utilizing distinct composite Sox:Octamer motifs in each cell type, Sox2:POU modules control the expression of thousands of genes involved in the development of the neural lineage in a cell-type-specific manner. These data advance our understanding of the mechanism by which transcription factors control cell fate transitions, and indicate that combinatorial interactions between transcription factors may be a pervasive mechanism of transcriptional control in development","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Lodato, Michael A. (Michael Anthony)"],"institution":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Biology.","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Rudolf Jaenisch."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012","date_published":"2012","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:52Z","subjects":["Biology."],"languages":["eng"],"rights":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."],"rights_urls":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/72631","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Rudolf Jaenisch."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Biology."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.other","label":"Dc Contributor Other","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Biology."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Lodato, Michael A. 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See provided URL for inquiries about permission."]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/72631"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Biology, June 2012.","This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.","\"June 2012.\" Cataloged from student submitted PDF version of thesis.","Includes bibliographical references."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Sox2 is a master regulator of two distinct cellular states, that of pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and multipotent neural progenitor cells (NPCs), but what common or distinct roles Sox2 may play in these cell types not fully understood. Further, the molecular mechanisms by which Sox2 can specify two distinct cell identities are as of yet unclear. This thesis is aimed at answering these fundamental questions. In ESCs, Sox2 was associated with a subset of poised regulators of nervous system development, and upon differentiation into NPCs Sox2 selectively activates those which are important for progenitor cell state, while keeping others poised to become activated in later neural development. These data suggested that Sox2 might act as a pioneer factor for neural development throughout embryogenesis. While Sox2 is known to co-occupy target loci in ESCs with the POU factor Oct4, in NPCs Sox2 interacts with the central-nervous-system-expressed POU factors Brn1 and Brn2. By utilizing distinct composite Sox:Octamer motifs in each cell type, Sox2:POU modules control the expression of thousands of genes involved in the development of the neural lineage in a cell-type-specific manner. These data advance our understanding of the mechanism by which transcription factors control cell fate transitions, and indicate that combinatorial interactions between transcription factors may be a pervasive mechanism of transcriptional control in development"]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Ph.D."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Sox2 co-occupies distal enhancer elements with cell-type-specific POU factors to specify cell identity in embryonic stem cells and neural precursor cells"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Rudolf Jaenisch."],"dc:contributor.department":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Biology."],"dc:contributor.other":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Biology."],"dc:creator":["Lodato, Michael A. (Michael Anthony)"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2012-09-11T17:27:53Z"],"dc:date.available":["2012-09-11T17:27:53Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2012"],"dc:description":["Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Biology, June 2012.","This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.","\"June 2012.\" Cataloged from student submitted PDF version of thesis.","Includes bibliographical references."],"dc:description.abstract":["Sox2 is a master regulator of two distinct cellular states, that of pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and multipotent neural progenitor cells (NPCs), but what common or distinct roles Sox2 may play in these cell types not fully understood. Further, the molecular mechanisms by which Sox2 can specify two distinct cell identities are as of yet unclear. This thesis is aimed at answering these fundamental questions. In ESCs, Sox2 was associated with a subset of poised regulators of nervous system development, and upon differentiation into NPCs Sox2 selectively activates those which are important for progenitor cell state, while keeping others poised to become activated in later neural development. These data suggested that Sox2 might act as a pioneer factor for neural development throughout embryogenesis. While Sox2 is known to co-occupy target loci in ESCs with the POU factor Oct4, in NPCs Sox2 interacts with the central-nervous-system-expressed POU factors Brn1 and Brn2. By utilizing distinct composite Sox:Octamer motifs in each cell type, Sox2:POU modules control the expression of thousands of genes involved in the development of the neural lineage in a cell-type-specific manner. These data advance our understanding of the mechanism by which transcription factors control cell fate transitions, and indicate that combinatorial interactions between transcription factors may be a pervasive mechanism of transcriptional control in development"],"dc:description.degree":["Ph.D."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/72631"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"],"dc:rights":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."],"dc:rights.uri":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"dc:subject":["Biology."],"dc:title":["Sox2 co-occupies distal enhancer elements with cell-type-specific POU factors to specify cell identity in embryonic stem cells and neural precursor cells"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:52Z"}