Start Date / Time | April 6, 2016 at 9:00 AM |
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End Date / Time | April 6, 2016 at 10:00 AM |
Duration | 1 hour(s) |
Location | 9455 MRB IV |
Presenter Name | Vivian Gama, Ph.D. |
Presentation Title | Mcl-1 as a molecular modulator of stem cell fate |
Status | This meeting has already occurred |
Mcl-1 is an anti-apoptotic protein that promotes the survival of different cell lineages and it is frequently upregulated in several types of cancer. Mcl-1 anti-apoptotic function relies on its ability to inhibit Bax activation, the main mediator of cell death in mammalian cells. While investigating the role of Mcl-1 in inhibiting active Bax in human embryonic stem (hES) cells, we found that Mcl-1 has an unexpected role regulating pluripotency in these cells. Using genetic and biochemical approaches we are seeking to reveal the mechanism by which Mcl-1 exerts this non-apoptotic function as a mediator of pluripotency in hES cells.