The orphan receptor Dax-1 is highly expressed in pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells and shows a correlative reduction in expression as these cells differentiate. While it is known that Dax-1 is expressed in pluripotent mouse ES cells, the precise function of Dax-1 in these cells is not as well understood. Recent studies employing RNA interference (RNAi) to specifically reduce the expression of the Dax-1 gene in mouse ES cells found that upon the knock down of Dax-1, ES cells differentiated. These findings indicate that Dax-1 functions in a novel role in the maintenance of a relatively undifferentiated state in ES cells.
Dax-1 is important in early embryonic development and, when mutated, adrenal insufficiency and disruption of normal tissue architecture results. In our study, we silenced Dax-1 expression in mouse ES cells using RNAi followed by PCR array methodology to identify genes that were alternately regulated upon targeted knock-down of Dax-1. Several novel Dax-1 targets have been identified, including genes that are involved in the Wnt signaling pathway. In attempts to understand the mechanism of Dax-1 action in ES cells, we are investigating the effect of Dax-1 knockdown on the regulation and expression of the identified target genes.
","abstract_html":"<p>The orphan receptor Dax-1 is highly expressed in pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells and shows a correlative reduction in expression as these cells differentiate. While it is known that Dax-1 is expressed in pluripotent mouse ES cells, the precise function of Dax-1 in these cells is not as well understood. Recent studies employing RNA interference (RNAi) to specifically reduce the expression of the Dax-1 gene in mouse ES cells found that upon the knock down of Dax-1, ES cells differentiated. These findings indicate that Dax-1 functions in a novel role in the maintenance of a relatively undifferentiated state in ES cells.</p> <p>Dax-1 is important in early embryonic development and, when mutated, adrenal insufficiency and disruption of normal tissue architecture results. In our study, we silenced Dax-1 expression in mouse ES cells using RNAi followed by PCR array methodology to identify genes that were alternately regulated upon targeted knock-down of Dax-1. Several novel Dax-1 targets have been identified, including genes that are involved in the Wnt signaling pathway. In attempts to understand the mechanism of Dax-1 action in ES cells, we are investigating the effect of Dax-1 knockdown on the regulation and expression of the identified target genes. </p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Torres, Anthony"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Biological Science (MBioSci)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Biology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Christina Tzagarakis-Foster","Jennifer Dever","Scott Nunes"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-01-11T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2013-01-11T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:42:43Z","subjects":["Dax-1","Stem Cells","Pluripotency","Self-renewal","Wnt Signaling","Transcriptional Regulatory Mechanisms","Medical Cell Biology","Medical Genetics","Medical Molecular Biology","Medical Sciences","Translational Medical Research"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://repository.usfca.edu/thes/54","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Christina Tzagarakis-Foster","Jennifer Dever","Scott Nunes"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Torres, Anthony"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2013-02-11T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Biological Science (MBioSci)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Dax-1","Stem Cells","Pluripotency","Self-renewal","Wnt Signaling","Transcriptional Regulatory Mechanisms","Medical Cell Biology","Medical Genetics","Medical Molecular Biology","Medical Sciences","Translational Medical Research"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://repository.usfca.edu/thes/54"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The orphan receptor Dax-1 is highly expressed in pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells and shows a correlative reduction in expression as these cells differentiate. While it is known that Dax-1 is expressed in pluripotent mouse ES cells, the precise function of Dax-1 in these cells is not as well understood. Recent studies employing RNA interference (RNAi) to specifically reduce the expression of the Dax-1 gene in mouse ES cells found that upon the knock down of Dax-1, ES cells differentiated. These findings indicate that Dax-1 functions in a novel role in the maintenance of a relatively undifferentiated state in ES cells.
Dax-1 is important in early embryonic development and, when mutated, adrenal insufficiency and disruption of normal tissue architecture results. In our study, we silenced Dax-1 expression in mouse ES cells using RNAi followed by PCR array methodology to identify genes that were alternately regulated upon targeted knock-down of Dax-1. Several novel Dax-1 targets have been identified, including genes that are involved in the Wnt signaling pathway. In attempts to understand the mechanism of Dax-1 action in ES cells, we are investigating the effect of Dax-1 knockdown on the regulation and expression of the identified target genes.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Role of Dax-1 in Regulating Pluripotency in mouse Embryonic Stem Cells"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Christina Tzagarakis-Foster","Jennifer Dever","Scott Nunes"],"dc:creator":["Torres, Anthony"],"dc:date.available":["2013-02-11T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The orphan receptor Dax-1 is highly expressed in pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells and shows a correlative reduction in expression as these cells differentiate. While it is known that Dax-1 is expressed in pluripotent mouse ES cells, the precise function of Dax-1 in these cells is not as well understood. Recent studies employing RNA interference (RNAi) to specifically reduce the expression of the Dax-1 gene in mouse ES cells found that upon the knock down of Dax-1, ES cells differentiated. These findings indicate that Dax-1 functions in a novel role in the maintenance of a relatively undifferentiated state in ES cells.
Dax-1 is important in early embryonic development and, when mutated, adrenal insufficiency and disruption of normal tissue architecture results. In our study, we silenced Dax-1 expression in mouse ES cells using RNAi followed by PCR array methodology to identify genes that were alternately regulated upon targeted knock-down of Dax-1. Several novel Dax-1 targets have been identified, including genes that are involved in the Wnt signaling pathway. In attempts to understand the mechanism of Dax-1 action in ES cells, we are investigating the effect of Dax-1 knockdown on the regulation and expression of the identified target genes.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://repository.usfca.edu/thes/54"],"dc:subject":["Dax-1","Stem Cells","Pluripotency","Self-renewal","Wnt Signaling","Transcriptional Regulatory Mechanisms","Medical Cell Biology","Medical Genetics","Medical Molecular Biology","Medical Sciences","Translational Medical Research"],"dc:title":["The Role of Dax-1 in Regulating Pluripotency in mouse Embryonic Stem Cells"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Biological Science (MBioSci)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:42:43Z"}