• Molecules and Cells
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• 제42권2호
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• pp.135-142
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• 2019

OCT4, also known as POU5F1 (POU domain class 5 transcription factor 1), is a transcription factor that acts as a master regulator of pluripotency in embryonic stem cells and is one of the reprogramming factors required for generating induced pluripotent stem cells. The human OCT4 encodes three isoforms, OCT4A, OCT4B, and OCT4B1, which are generated by alternative splicing. Currently, the functions and expression patterns of OCT4B remain largely unknown in malignancies, especially in human glioblastomas. Here, we demonstrated the function of OCT4B in human glioblastomas. Among the isoform of OCT4B, OCT4B-190 ($OCT4B^{19kDa}$) was highly expressed in human glioblastoma stem cells and glioblastoma cells and was mainly detected in the cytoplasm rather than the nucleus. Overexpression of $OCT4B^{19kDa}$ promoted colony formation of glioblastoma cells when grown in soft agar culture conditions. Clinical data analysis revealed that patients with gliomas that expressed OCT4B at high levels had a poorer prognosis than patients with gliomas that expressed OCT4B at low levels. Thus, $OCT4B^{19kDa}$ may play a crucial role in regulating cancer cell survival and adaption in a rigid environment.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.33-38
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• 2008

DNA 메틸화는 조직특이적인 유전자 조절에 관여하고, 정상적인 배 발달에 필수적이다. POU5F1은 octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct-4)를 encode하며, 초기 분화에 중요한 전사인자이다. 본 실험에서 소의 Oct-4가 조직특이적이고 발달의존적인 epigenetic 표지 인지를 검토하고자, 착상 전 수정란에서 Oct-4 전사산물과 상류 promoter 영역의 CpGs의 메틸화를 조사하였다. Oct-4 전사산물은 정자 그리고 2-cell에서 8-cell 수정란까지 낮은 수준으로 존재하지만, 상실배와 배반포에서 높게 검출되었다. 이러한 결과는 배 발달 과정의 상실배 단계에서 Oct-4의 de novo 발현이 시작됨을 의미한다. Oct-4 상류 promoter 영역에는 메틸화 가변 영역 (tissue-dependent differentially methylated region, T-DMR)이 존재한다. Oct-4 메틸화 가변 영역의 메틸화 상태는 정자, 성체 체조직과 난자에서 서로 다르고, 수정란으로부터 배반포 단계까지 변화하였는데, 이는 착상 전 초기 배 발달 과정에 active 메틸화와 탈메틸화가 일어남을 의미한다. 이상의 결과, Oct-4 유전자 상류 promoter 영역은 DNA 메틸화의 타깃이고, 그 메틸화 상태는 소 수정란 발달 동안에 다양하게 변화한다.

• 한국동물번식학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국동물번식학회 2003년도 학술발표대회 발표논문초록집
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• pp.51-51
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• 2003

Oct-4 is a maternally expressed octamer-binding protein encoded by the murine Oct-4 gene. It is present in unfertilized oocytes, but also in the inner cell mass and in primordial germ cells. In addition, Oct-4 is the first transcrition factor described that is specific for the blastocysts stage bovine embryos. The spatial and temporal expression patterns were further determined using Immunohistochemistry. With this technique Oct-4 protein expression is detected in the oocyte, in the blastocyst. After pregnancy Oct-4 expression is restricted ovary and placental tissue. Therefore Oct-4 is a transcription factor that is specifically expressed in cells participating in the pregnancy of Korean native cattle. These result suggest that Oct-4 localization and expression may contribute to the defects in the developmental normal seen in Korean native cattle.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권8호
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• pp.3519-3524
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• 2014

Background: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a common cancer with poor prognosis. It has been hypothesized that Oct4 positive radioresistant stem cells may be responsible for tumor recurrence. Hence, we evaluated Oct4 expression in ESCC in pre-treatment, post neo-adjuvant residual and post-surgical recurrent tumours. Materials and Methods: Endoscopic mucosal biopsies were used to study Oct4 expression and the observations were correlated with histological tumor grades, patient data and clinical background. Results: All patients presented with dysphagia with male predominance and a wide age range. Majority of the patients had intake of mixed diet, history of alcohol and tobacco intake was documented in less than half of the patients. Oct 4 expression was significantly higher in poorly differentiated (PDSCC) and basaloid (BSCC) subtypes than the other better differentiated tumor morphology. Oct4 was also expressed by adjoining esophageal mucosa showing low grade dysplasia and basal cell hyperplasia (BCH). Biopsies in PDSCC and BSCC groups were more likely to show a positive band for Oct4 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Dysplasia and BCH mucosa also showed Oct4 positivity by PCR. All mucosal biopsies with normal morphology were negative for Oct4. Number of tissue samples showing Oct4 positivity by PCR was higher than that by the conventional immunohistochemistry (p>0.05). Oct4 expression pattern correlated only with tumor grading, not with other parameters including the clinical background or patient data. Conclusions: Our observations highlighted a possible role of Oct4 in identifying putative cancer stem cells in ESCC pathobiology and response to treatment. The implications are either in vivo existence of Oct4 positive putative cancer stem cells in ESCC or acquisition of cancer stem cell properties by tumor cells as a response to treatment given, resulting ultimately an uncontrolled cell proliferation and treatment failure.

• BMB Reports
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• 제49권10호
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• pp.527-528
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• 2016

In embryonic stem cells (ESCs), cell cycle regulation is deeply connected to pluripotency. Especially, core transcription factors (CTFs) which are essential to maintaining the pluripotency transcription programs should be reset during M/G1 transition. However, it remains unknown about how CTFs are governed during cell cycle progression. Here, we describe that the regulation of Oct4 by Aurora kinase b (Aurkb)/protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) axis during the cell cycle is important for resetting Oct4 to pluripotency and cell cycle related target genes in determining the identity of ESCs. Aurkb starts to phosphorylate Oct4(S229) at the onset of G2/M phase, inducing the dissociation of Oct4 from chromatin, whereas PP1 binds Oct4 and dephosphorylates Oct4(S229) during M/G1 transition, which resets Oct4-driven transcription for pluripotency and the cell cycle. Furthermore, Aurkb phosphormimetic and PP1 binding-deficient mutations in Oct4 disrupt the pluripotent cell cycle, lead to the loss of pluripotency in ESCs, and decrease the efficiency of somatic cell reprogramming. Based on our findings, we suggest that the cell cycle is directly linked to pluripotency programs in ESCs.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.123-129
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• 2010

배아 줄기세포는 미분화상태에서 자가 재생을 유지할 수 있다. 자가 재생은 OCT4, SOX2와 NANOG와 같은 많은 인자들이 작용한다. 생쥐 배아 줄기세포에서 OCT4와 SOX2가 Nanog 프로모터에 결합하여 Nanog 유전자의 발현을 촉진한다는 사실은 생쥐 promoter에 관한 정밀분석으로 알려져 있다. 본 연구에서는 인간 Nanog promoter를 정밀 분석하기 위해 연속적인 결손 돌연변이를 가진 promoter-reporter construct를 제조하였다. Promoter의 최대 활성은 0.6 kb(-253/+365) promoter-reporter construct에서 발견되었으며, 이 construct에는 OCT4 및 SOX2의 결합부위가 포함된다. OCT4와 SOX2의 기여도를 확인하기 위하여 OCT4 및 SOX2의 결합부위에 자리 특이적 돌연변이를 유도하고 promoter 활성에 미치는 영향을 조사한 결과, OCT4나 SOX2 어느 한 군데라도 돌연변이가 존재하면 promoter 활성이 현저히 저해되었다. 본 연구 결과를 통해 인간 Nanog 유전자 발현에 있어 OCT4 및 SOX2가 필수적임을 직접적으로 확인할 수 있었다.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제23권3호
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• pp.133-139
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• 2008

DNA methylation is one of the reasons for poor survival of clone animals. The OCT-4 gene is essential for maintaining pluripotency of embryonic stem (ES) cells and early embryos. We previously reported that the 5'-promoter region of Oct-4 gene was a target of DNA methylation and the methylation status was changed variously during embryonic development in bovine. The study conducted to examine the expression and methylation pattern of tissue-dependent differentially methylated region (T-DMR) of Oct-4 gene in bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) blastocysts. The Oct-4 gene expression was evaluated by RT-PCR and fluorescence immunocytochemistry. The methylation pattern of T-DMR was analyzed using restriction mapping and bisulfite sequencing methods. The Oct-4 transcripts were highly expressed in IVF, while they were not expressed in SCNT. The Oct-4 protein was not detected or expressed at very low level in SCNT, the intensity of Oct-4 protein, however, was strong in IVF. On the other hand, the T-DMR of Oct-4 gene was hypermethylated in SCNT compared to that of IVF. These results suggested that expression and the failure of demethylation of Oct-4 gene was closely associated with incomplete development of SCNT embryos.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.81-88
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• 2016

There are various factors i.e. donor cell type, culture system as well as technical procedures which influence the pre-implantation embryonic development; however, may attempts have been made and still it is under investigation to improve the cloning efficiency using somatic cell nuclear transfer technique. It is has been investigated that stem cells like mesenchymal stem cell are able to more efficiently reprogram and reactivate the expression of early embryonic genes to promote nuclear transfer efficiency. In addition, Oct4 expression plays a pivotal role in early embryo development. In the present study, we investigated distribution of Oct4 expression and changes of apoptosis and total cell number in nuclear transfer blastocyst after using Oct4 transfected bone marrow stem cell as donor cells. Although Oct4-RFP expression was observed across blastocyst, more concentrated intensity was shown at hatched region in blastocyst on day 7. Reduction of apoptotic bodies was revealed in Oct4 transfected blastocyst by TUNEL staining, however, there was no significant difference in total cell number between Oct4 transfected and non-transfected nuclear transfer embryos. In conclusion, Oct4 transfected donor cells exhibited higher expression in hatching sight in day 7 blastocyst and were able to prevent apoptosis compared to non-transfected donor cells.

• BMB Reports
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• 제45권1호
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• pp.20-25
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• 2012

The present study aimed to investigate the function of translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) in the regulation of Oct4 in mouse embryonic carcinoma P19 cells and mouse J1 embryonic stem (ES) cells. The mRNA level of endogenous TCTP in somatic cells was 2-4 folds higher than that in pluripotent P19 and J1 ES cells. Overexpression of TCTP in mouse pluripotent cells not only reduced the level of Oct4 transcription, but also decreased the pluripotency of stem cells. The N-terminal end of TCTP (amino acids 1-60) played an important role in suppressing the Oct4 promoter. Moreover, overexpression of TCTP in P19 cells suppressed the Oct4 promoter activity in a dose- and a time-dependent manner. In addition, knockdown of TCTP by small interfering RNA increased the expression of Oct4. Our study indicates that TCTP downregulates the Oct4 expression by binding the Sf1 site of Oct4 promoter in mouse pluripotent cells.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.21-28
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• 2007

During early embryo development, Oct-4 is an important transcription factor for the early differentiation the present study was first examined methylation status in distal enhancer and promoter region of Oct-4 during mouse pre-implantation embryo development. In oocyte and sperm, high methylation was observed in both distal and proximal of promoter in Oct-4. Following fertilization relatively high methylation level remained until 8-cell stage embryos, but decreased at the morula and blastocyst stage. Specific gene knock down of Oct-4 by siRNA injection into zygote induced higher methylation rates of both distal and proximal region of promoter of Oct-4. These results suggest a functional link between the DNA methylation status of distal and promoter resign in the Oct-4 gene and the gene sequence-specific transcriptional silencing by exogenous siRNA injection during mouse preimplantation embryos.