Question

How do OSKM factors reprogram cells to become pluripotent stem cells?

a) they are transcription factors that change gene expression to alter cell fate.
b) they are hormones that cause growth changes to alter cell fate.
c) they are receptors that directly change cell signalling to alter cell fate
d) they are cyclin-dependent kinases that change the cell cycle to alter cell fate.

Answer 1

OSKM factors reprogram cells into pluripotent stem cells by serving as transcription factors that alter gene expression, changing the cell's fate by either promoting or suppressing target genes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The OSKM factors, which include Oct3/4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc, reprogram cells to become pluripotent stem cells by functioning as transcription factors.

These proteins alter cell fate by changing gene expression. To accomplish this, they bind to specific sequences of DNA and either promote or inhibit the transcription of target genes. The activation or suppression of these genes effectively resets the identity of the cell to a pluripotent state, allowing it to differentiate into virtually any other cell type.