In this episode of the Epigenetics Podcast, we talked with Christa Buecker from the Max Perutz Laboratories in Vienna about her work on transcriptional regulation during early embryonic development. Dr. Buecker unravels the differences between naive and primed pluripotency states, showcasing how OCT4 relocalization and enhancer chromatin landscapes play pivotal roles during this transition. The conversation delves into the intricate interplay of transcription factors like OCT4 and OTX2, shedding light on their collaborative efforts in regulating gene expression during differentiation. Dr. Buecker then shares insights from her study on enhancer elements controlling FGF5 expression and discusses the surprising revelation that individual enhancers show no intrinsic activity but work together in a super additive fashion. She also touches upon her research on IRF1's connection to the gene regulatory network and its role in protecting cells against viral infections. The conversation shifts to Dr. Buecker's current research endeavors, focusing on exploring the strength of enhancers and their impact on gene expression at different distances from promoters. She shares her vision for future experiments and the integration of enhancers to decipher their impact on transcription regulation.   References Buecker, C., Srinivasan, R., Wu, Z., Calo, E., Acampora, D., Faial, T., Simeone, A., Tan, M., Swigut, T., & Wysocka, J. (2014). Reorganization of enhancer patterns in transition from naive to primed pluripotency. Cell stem cell, 14(6), 838–853. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stem.2014.04.003 Thomas, H. F., Kotova, E., Jayaram, S., Pilz, A., Romeike, M., Lackner, A., Penz, T., Bock, C., Leeb, M., Halbritter, F., Wysocka, J., & Buecker, C. (2021). Temporal dissection of an enhancer cluster reveals distinct temporal and functional contributions of individual elements. Molecular cell, 81(5), 969–982.e13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2020.12.047 Romeike, M., Spach, S., Huber, M., Feng, S., Vainorius, G., Elling, U., Versteeg, G. A., & Buecker, C. (2022). Transient upregulation of IRF1 during exit from naive pluripotency confers viral protection. EMBO reports, 23(9), e55375. https://doi.org/10.15252/embr.202255375   Related Episodes Enhancer Communities in Adipocyte Differentiation (Susanne Mandrup) Enhancer-Promoter Interactions During Development (Yad Ghavi-Helm) Enhancers and Chromatin Remodeling in Mammary Gland Development (Camila dos Santos) Ultraconserved Enhancers and Enhancer Redundancy (Diane Dickel)   Contact Epigenetics Podcast on X Epigenetics Podcast on Instagram Epigenetics Podcast on Mastodon Epigenetics Podcast on Bluesky Epigenetics Podcast on Threads Active Motif on X Active Motif on LinkedIn Email: podcast@activemotif.com