Transcription factorIn molecular biology, a transcription factor (TF) (or sequence-specific DNA-binding factor) is a protein that controls the rate of transcription of genetic information from DNA to messenger RNA, by binding to DNA sequences. Specificity can be due to sequence motifs, or epigenetic modifications.
Neural stem cellNeural stem cells (NSCs) are self-renewing, multipotent cells that firstly generate the radial glial progenitor cells that generate the neurons and glia of the nervous system of all animals during embryonic development. Some neural progenitor stem cells persist in highly restricted regions in the adult vertebrate brain and continue to produce neurons throughout life.SOX gene familySOX genes (SRY-related HMG-box genes) encode a family of transcription factors that bind to the minor groove in DNA, and belong to a super-family of genes characterized by a homologous sequence called the HMG-box (for high-mobility group). This HMG box is a DNA binding domain that is highly conserved throughout eukaryotic species. Homologues have been identified in insects, nematodes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and a range of mammals.
Embryonic stem cellEmbryonic stem cells (ESCs) are pluripotentstem cells derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, an early-stage pre-implantationembryo. Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 4–5 days post fertilization, at which time they consist of 50–150 cells.
Protein familyA protein family is a group of evolutionarily related proteins. In many cases, a protein family has a corresponding gene family, in which each gene encodes a corresponding protein with a 1:1 relationship. The term "protein family" should not be confused with family as it is used in taxonomy. Proteins in a family descend from a common ancestor and typically have similar three-dimensional structures, functions, and significant sequence similarity.
Cell potencyCell potency is a cell's ability to differentiate into other cell types. The more cell types a cell can differentiate into, the greater its potency. Potency is also described as the gene activation potential within a cell, which like a continuum, begins with totipotency to designate a cell with the most differentiation potential, pluripotency, multipotency, oligopotency, and finally unipotency.
Protein domainSelf-stable region of a protein's chain that folds independently from the restPyruvate kinase, a protein with three domains (PDB: 1PKN).In molecular biology, a protein domain is a region of a protein's polypeptide chain that is self-stabilizing and folds independently from the rest. Each domain forms a compact, folded three-dimensional structure. Many proteins consist of several domains, and a domain may appear in a variety of different proteins.
DNADeoxyribonucleic acid (pronunciation; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of all known organisms and many viruses. DNA and ribonucleic acid (RNA) are nucleic acids.
Stem cellUnspecialized biological cell that can become specializedIn multicellular organisms, stem cells are undifferentiated or partially differentiated cells that can change into various types of cells and proliferate indefinitely to produce more of the same stem cell. They are the earliest type of cell in a cell lineage. They are found in both embryonic and adult organisms, but they have slightly different properties in each.High-mobility groupHigh-Mobility Group or HMG is a group of chromosomal proteins that are involved in the regulation of DNA-dependent processes such as transcription, replication, recombination, and DNA repair.
MammalClass of animals with milk-producing glandsA mammal (from Latin mamma 'breast') is a vertebrate animal of the classMammalia (). Mammals are characterized by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three middle ear bones. These characteristics distinguish them from reptiles and birds, from which their ancestors diverged in the Carboniferous period over 300 million years ago.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.