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In 2006, it was reported that transgenic expression of merely four defined transcription factors (c-Myc, Klf4, Oct4, and Sox2) is sufficient to reprogram somatic cells to a pluripotent state. The resulting induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells ignited intense interest in the field of life science for their promising applications in basic biology, drug development, and transplantation. However, the underlying problems of iPS cells seem to be ignored. This review shed light on the problems pertaining iPS cells, including the elusive origin, risk of tumorgenesis, and its relationship with natural selection. © 2010 IUBMB IUBMB Life, 62(3): 170–175, 2010 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through an improved enrichment protocol, 20 microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized in an endangered animal, forest musk deer ( Moschus berezovskii). In which, six loci showed high polymorphism with five to 13 alleles in 48 sampled individuals. The observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.362–0.955 and 0.784–0.906, respectively. The average polymorphism information content (PIC) was 0.8108 in these six microsatellites and they could be the valuable genetic markers for further investigation of forest musk deer species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]