Oct-4
- OMIM: 164 177
- UniProt: Q01860
Oct-4 ( octamer binding transcription factor 4), also known as OCT3, called POU5F1 or MGC22487, is a gene from the POU family of transcription factors. It is only in cells with a higher development potential than the active somatic stem cells; Also in cancer cells.
- 4.1 Non - academic publications
Genetics
The Oct-4 gene is located on human chromosome 6, locus 6p21.33.
Function
The Oct-4 gene encodes a protein - a transcription factor - which is essential for normal embryonic development. In this case, Oct-4 is expressed selectively in the areas of the embryo, in which later the fetal tissue builds up. For the development of all mammals Oct-4 is an essential gene. In the adult creatures Oct-4 is, however, expressed only in germ cells.
2002 was discovered by a research group led by Hans R. Scholer at the University of Pennsylvania in the animal model mouse that the correct expression of Oct-4 is directly correlated with the viability of mouse cloning. The activation of Oct-4 must be in a certain area there. Slightly too low, but also high activities, led to the death of animals. Depending on the stage of development of the embryo has a "power down " of Oct- 4, a different effect. In the very early embryonic stage causes the Oct-4 loss that the embryonic totipotent cells are converted into trophoblastic cells. In a later phase of the Oct-4 causes loss that the primordial germ cells at the apoptosis is triggered.
The gene product of Oct- 4 is a transcription factor highly complex, some are not yet known, or understood, interactions with other transcriptional cofactors and of the POU family, but also other families, such as Pax or Sox. So can interact Oct-4 with another Oct-4, but also with Oct- 1, Oct- 6 or Sox -2.
Biotechnological Research
In the currently discussed and explored in many laboratories artificial reprogramming of stem cells Oct-4, for example, introduced together with the genes Sox -2, Nanog and lin - 28 by means of retroviruses in somatic cells, after which they are converted into pluripotent stem cells.
Since stem cell genes such as Oct-4 are frequently active in malignant cells is the regulation of this gene is of great scientific interest. So already some small RNA molecules called microRNAs were found. Translation of Oct-4 up - or down-regulate,