What is the role of Oct4 in embryonic stem cells?

Oct4 mainly functions through the activation of pluripotency-associated and self-renewal-associated genes, while simultaneously repressing genes that promote differentiation, in coordination with other pluripotency factors and coregulators.

What is Oct4 and Nanog?

Oct4 and Nanog are two important regulators in the maintenance of pluripotency in ES cells, targeting a core set of 345 genes (Fig. 3b). Among these genes, 30 of them encode known or putative DNA-binding regulators, including key genes Pou5f1, Sox2 and Nanog.

What does Oct4 bind to?

Here, we discover that the pluripotency-associated pioneer factor OCT4 binds chromatin to shape accessibility, transcription factor co-binding, and regulatory element function in mouse embryonic stem cells.

Is Oct4 a transcription factor?

Oct4 (also known as Oct-3) belongs to the POU (Pit-Oct-Unc) transcription factor family8. The POU family of transcription factors can activate the expression of their target genes through binding an octameric sequence motif of an AGTCAAAT consensus sequence7,9.

Where do you find pluripotent stem cells?

Pluripotent stem cells are cells that have the capacity to self-renew by dividing and to develop into the three primary germ cell layers of the early embryo and therefore into all cells of the adult body, but not extra-embryonic tissues such as the placenta.

Is SOX2 a protein?

SOX2 (SRY-Box Transcription Factor 2) is a Protein Coding gene. Diseases associated with SOX2 include Microphthalmia, Syndromic 3 and Septooptic Dysplasia. Among its related pathways are Transcriptional Regulatory Network in Embryonic Stem Cell and Ectoderm Differentiation.

Is Oct4 nuclear?

In the present study we show that Oct4 is a nucleocytoplasmic shuttling protein. Furthermore, although Oct4 mutants with altered nuclear import/export activity were able to maintain the self-renewal of ES cells, they displayed limited potential for cellular reprogramming.

What is Sox2 a marker of?

SOX2, a persistent marker for multipotential neural stem cells derived from embryonic stem cells, the embryo or the adult. Dev Neurosci.

What human cells are pluripotent?

What is SOX2 anophthalmia syndrome?

Description. Collapse Section. SOX2 anophthalmia syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by abnormal development of the eyes and other parts of the body. People with SOX2 anophthalmia syndrome are usually born without eyeballs (anophthalmia), although some individuals have small eyes (microphthalmia).

How does Oct4 contribute to the cell cycle?

Oct4 contributes to the rapid cell cycle of ESCs by promoting progression through the G1 phase, specifically through transcriptional inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors such as p21. CRISPR-Cas9 knockout of the gene in human embryonic stem cells demonstrated that Oct-4 is essential for the development after fertilisation.

Which is Oct4 activating compound activates NANOG promoter?

One of the compounds, termed Oct4-activating compound 1 (OAC1), was found to activate both Oct4 and Nanog promoter-driven luciferase reporter genes.

What is the role of Oct-4 in reprogramming?

Role in reprogramming. Oct-4 is one of the transcription factors used to create induced pluripotent stem cells, together with Sox2, Klf4 and often c-Myc in mouse, demonstrating its capacity to induce an embryonic stem cell-like state. These factors are often referred to as “Yamanaka reprogramming factors”.

Which is Oct4 activating compound enhances IPSC formation?

Two structural analogs of OAC1 also activated Oct4 and Nanog promoters and enhanced iPSC formation. The iPSC colonies derived using the Oct4-activating compounds along with the quartet factors exhibited typical ESC morphology, gene-expression pattern, and developmental potential.