Stem cells, stress, metabolism and cancer: a drama in two Octs

It is a classic story of two related transcription factors. Oct4 is a potent regulator of pluripotency during early mammalian embryonic development, and is notable for its ability to convert adult somatic cells to pluripotency. The widely expressed Oct1 protein shares significant homology with Oct4,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Trends in biochemical sciences (Amsterdam. Regular ed.) 2009-10, Vol.34 (10), p.491-499
Main Authors: Kang, Jinsuk, Shakya, Arvind, Tantin, Dean
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Cell Differentiation - physiology
Energy Metabolism
Humans
Neoplasms - genetics
Neoplasms - metabolism
Octamer Transcription Factor-1 - classification
Octamer Transcription Factor-1 - genetics
Octamer Transcription Factor-1 - metabolism
Octamer Transcription Factor-3 - classification
Octamer Transcription Factor-3 - genetics
Octamer Transcription Factor-3 - metabolism
Phylogeny
Stem Cells - physiology
Stress, Physiological
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Summary:It is a classic story of two related transcription factors. Oct4 is a potent regulator of pluripotency during early mammalian embryonic development, and is notable for its ability to convert adult somatic cells to pluripotency. The widely expressed Oct1 protein shares significant homology with Oct4, binds to the same sequences, regulates common target genes, and shares common modes of upstream regulation, including the ability to respond to cellular stress. Both proteins are also associated with malignancy, yet Oct1 cannot substitute for Oct4 in the generation of pluripotency. The molecular underpinnings of these phenomena are emerging, as are the consequences for adult stem cells and cancer, and thereby hangs a tale.
ISSN:0968-0004
1362-4326
DOI:10.1016/j.tibs.2009.06.003