Valerie Kouskoff - Overview

The haematopoietic and endothelial lineages derive from mesoderm and are thought to develop through the maturation of a common progenitor, the hemangioblast. The major focus of our studies is to understand the relationship between mesodermal precursors and the hemangioblast, and to define the molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate lineage commitment of this earliest known blood precursor. To study these questions, we use the in vitro differentiation potential of embryonic stem cells as a model system. We have developed embryonic stem cells with the green fluorescence protein targeted into the brachyury locus, a marker of the mesoderm germ layer. Using this tool, we can follow and analyze mesoderm subpopulations and hematopoietic precursors.