Transcription factor stoichiometry defines distinct pluripotent states

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During human development, cells behave like building blocks and fascinatingly come together in an organized and well-controlled manner to build the human body. Within this process, we can think of cells as building blocks consisting of support foundations made up of complex protein interactions. These support foundations determine the choices of whether a cell becomes a blood, brain, or skin cell, or many other cell types that make up a human being. The earliest cell type that can be isolated, grown and studied is an embryonic stem cell. Interestingly, we can now convert adult cell into cells that highly resemble embryonic stem cells. This process, which is called “reprogramming”, requires the addition of certain factors. Increasing the levels of these factors gives rise to a unique cell type that resembles embryonic stem cells only in terms of differentiation potential. However, the two cell types completely differ in protein interactions that support the identity of embryonic stem cells. The proposed research aims on understanding the parallels between these two cell types. It also aims to identify new mechanisms of how altered protein levels lead to differences in protein interactions that can affect early embryo development. Specifically, we aim to resolve the important elements behind building a normal embryonic cell, which ultimately leads to normal development. We believe that our work will provide novel insights into the decisions taken by early cells of our body leading towards healthy human embryo development.**