DAX-1 is known to play a key role in the maintenance of pluripotency in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC), such that elimination of DAX-1 (through methods such as RNAi) leads to the differentiation of ESC (Khalfallah et al. 2009). Earlier research by the Tzagarakis-Foster lab identified target genes of DAX-1 in mESC through PCR array methodology (Torres 2013). The Dickkopf 1 gene (Dkk1) was identified as a potential target of DAX-1 by these studies and has since been confirmed to be a DAX-1 target in mESC. However, to date very little is understood of the mechanism of DAX-1 repression of Dkk1 in mESC. In order to better understand the relationship between DAX-1 and Dkk1 in mESC, DAX-1 was knocked down via RNAi and levels of gene expression were measured by qPCR. We found that Dkk1 gene expression exhibited more than a twofold increase in mESCs that had a DAX-1 knockdown, which supports our hypothesis that DAX-1 acts as a negative transcriptional regulator of Dkk1.
","abstract_html":"<p>DAX-1 is known to play a key role in the maintenance of pluripotency in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC), such that elimination of DAX-1 (through methods such as RNAi) leads to the differentiation of ESC (Khalfallah et al. 2009). Earlier research by the Tzagarakis-Foster lab identified target genes of DAX-1 in mESC through PCR array methodology (Torres 2013). The Dickkopf 1 gene (Dkk1) was identified as a potential target of DAX-1 by these studies and has since been confirmed to be a DAX-1 target in mESC. However, to date very little is understood of the mechanism of DAX-1 repression of Dkk1 in mESC. In order to better understand the relationship between DAX-1 and Dkk1 in mESC, DAX-1 was knocked down via RNAi and levels of gene expression were measured by qPCR. We found that Dkk1 gene expression exhibited more than a twofold increase in mESCs that had a DAX-1 knockdown, which supports our hypothesis that DAX-1 acts as a negative transcriptional regulator of Dkk1.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Gavallos, Victor D"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Bachelor of Science","degree_level":"Honors Thesis","degree_discipline":"Biology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Christina Tzagarakis-Foster","Dr. Mary Jane Niles","Dr. Gary Stevens"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2014,"date_issued":"2014-12-14T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2014-12-14T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:43:17Z","subjects":["DAX-1","Dkk1","Wnt","Dickkopf 1","Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells","mESC","Cellular and Molecular Physiology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://repository.usfca.edu/honors/4","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Christina Tzagarakis-Foster","Dr. Mary Jane Niles","Dr. Gary Stevens"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Gavallos, Victor D"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2015-08-14T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Honors Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Bachelor of Science"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["DAX-1","Dkk1","Wnt","Dickkopf 1","Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells","mESC","Cellular and Molecular Physiology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://repository.usfca.edu/honors/4"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["DAX-1 is known to play a key role in the maintenance of pluripotency in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC), such that elimination of DAX-1 (through methods such as RNAi) leads to the differentiation of ESC (Khalfallah et al. 2009). Earlier research by the Tzagarakis-Foster lab identified target genes of DAX-1 in mESC through PCR array methodology (Torres 2013). The Dickkopf 1 gene (Dkk1) was identified as a potential target of DAX-1 by these studies and has since been confirmed to be a DAX-1 target in mESC. However, to date very little is understood of the mechanism of DAX-1 repression of Dkk1 in mESC. In order to better understand the relationship between DAX-1 and Dkk1 in mESC, DAX-1 was knocked down via RNAi and levels of gene expression were measured by qPCR. We found that Dkk1 gene expression exhibited more than a twofold increase in mESCs that had a DAX-1 knockdown, which supports our hypothesis that DAX-1 acts as a negative transcriptional regulator of Dkk1.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Regulation of Dkk1, an Inhibitor of the Wnt Signaling Pathway, by DAX-1 in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Christina Tzagarakis-Foster","Dr. Mary Jane Niles","Dr. Gary Stevens"],"dc:creator":["Gavallos, Victor D"],"dc:date.available":["2015-08-14T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["DAX-1 is known to play a key role in the maintenance of pluripotency in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC), such that elimination of DAX-1 (through methods such as RNAi) leads to the differentiation of ESC (Khalfallah et al. 2009). Earlier research by the Tzagarakis-Foster lab identified target genes of DAX-1 in mESC through PCR array methodology (Torres 2013). The Dickkopf 1 gene (Dkk1) was identified as a potential target of DAX-1 by these studies and has since been confirmed to be a DAX-1 target in mESC. However, to date very little is understood of the mechanism of DAX-1 repression of Dkk1 in mESC. In order to better understand the relationship between DAX-1 and Dkk1 in mESC, DAX-1 was knocked down via RNAi and levels of gene expression were measured by qPCR. We found that Dkk1 gene expression exhibited more than a twofold increase in mESCs that had a DAX-1 knockdown, which supports our hypothesis that DAX-1 acts as a negative transcriptional regulator of Dkk1.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://repository.usfca.edu/honors/4"],"dc:subject":["DAX-1","Dkk1","Wnt","Dickkopf 1","Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells","mESC","Cellular and Molecular Physiology"],"dc:title":["Regulation of Dkk1, an Inhibitor of the Wnt Signaling Pathway, by DAX-1 in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Honors Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Bachelor of Science"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:43:17Z"}