Ken Cho, Ph.D.
Professor & Chair

4410 Nat Sci II
University of California Irvine
Irvine, CA 92697

Lab Tel: (949) 824-7950
Office Tel: (949) 824-4067
Email: kwcho@uci.edu
Website: Lab Homepage

Developmental Regulation by TGF-b Member Growth Factors - Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) are key players in a multitude of cell signaling events, from the subdivision of tissue types during early embryogenesis to the formation of limbs and internal organs. We have identified a conserved BMP responsive element (BRE) within the promoter of Xvent2 and Id3 in Xenopus and found that the BRE is conserved in fly, fish, mice and humans. A key molecule mediating the signaling is the evolutionally conserved, multi-zinc finger transcription factor Schnurri (Shn), which has the ability to function as a transcriptional activator or repressor depending on the biological context. Since Shn functions as an evolutionarily conserved transcriptional factor involved in BMP signaling, our current goal is to determine the general design principles of BMP gene regulatory networks in vertebrates, how conserved BMP signaling modules are deployed in different biological processes to provide specific cellular responses, and the structural organization of cis-regulatory element regulating the process using both in vivo and in silico approaches.

Stem cell niche biology attempts to understand the microenvironment that is necessary to support stem cells proliferation and differentiation. While ES cells differentiate into different cell types after growth factor (e.g., BMP) stimulation, the process is often inefficient, heterogeneous and unpredictable. To better define the niche for ES cell differentiation, we use microfluiditic platforms to create specialized microenvironments (e.g., gradient) for stem cells.

Recent Publications