Figure 2.

HIF1α regulates the metabolic and phenotypic transition from ESC to EpiSC. mESC isolated from the inner cell mass (ICM) of the blastocyst are metabolically and phenotypically distinct from post-implantation EpiSC isolated from the epiblast (Epi) or hESC (Epi-like). HIF1α expression regulates the metabolic and phenotypic transition from ESC to EpiSC. Increased HIF1α expression in EpiSC/hESC promotes a highly glycolytic metabolism via increased expression of glycolytic genes such as PDK1, LDHA, and PYGL and downregulation of mitochondrial COX gene expression via TGFβ/Activin/Nodal signalling.