OCT4

OCT4 is a mammalian POU
transcription factor expressed by early embryo cells and germ cells.
It belongs to the POU transcription factor family. The human OCT4
gene maps to chromosome 6 and has two isoforms with identical
C-termini that include the characteristic POU-specific domain and the
POU home domain. This transcription factor binds to the octamer motif
(5'-ATTTGCAT-3'). OCT4 a nuclear protein forms a trimeric complex
with SOX2 on DNA and controls the expression of a number of genes
involved in embryonic development such as YES1, FGF4, UTF1 and
ZFP206. The POU-specific domain of OCT4 mediates the interaction with
PKM2 thus regulating the transcriptional activity positively. It is
critical for early embryogenesis and for embryonic stem cell
pluripotency. Expression of OCT4 is in a diffuse and slightly
punctuate pattern. It is initially expressed in unfertilized oocytes
and then in totipotent and pluripotent cells of the inner cell mass
of pre-gastrulation embryos before becoming specific to germ-line
cells. The OCT4 gene is expressed at low levels in such diverse adult
tissues as heart, kidney, liver, spleen, and pancreatic islets.
Highest levels found in specific cell layers of the cortex, the
olfactory bulb, the hippocampus and the cerebellum. Specific
functions of OCT4 have not been established. The expression of OCT4
in unfertilized oocytes and blastocysts is probably of greatest
significance because of the role that OCT4 may be playing in early
post fertilization events.

IMGENEX
Corporation as well as ImgenexIndia has taken the initiative to
develop antibodies against such novel proteins like OCT4 involved in
modernized branches of immunology like stem cell biology to aid
researchers to deduce their physiological and therapeutic
applications. The quality and efficacy of these OCT4 antibodies make
them unique in their own way and tend to be good research elements
for various purposes.