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High Oct-ane fuel powers the stem cell

Nature Genetics volume 29, pages 246–247 (2001)Cite this article

The Oct4 transcription factor has a critical role in the maintenance of pluripotent stem cells in an undifferentiated state and in the formation of mammalian germ cells. Recent work demonstrates that a specific nuclear receptor is involved in regulating the expression of Oct4 itself. This finding has important implications for understanding pluripotent stem-cell biology and nuclear reprogramming.

If you wanted a marker of pluripotent stem cells, you wouldn't go far wrong if you picked the POU-domain transcription factor, Oct4. Each type of established mammalian pluripotent stem cell line—embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells, embryonic stem (ES) cells and embryonic germ (EG) cells—express Oct4, which disappears rapidly when the cells differentiate1. There is little doubt as to the importance of Oct4 for the maintenance of stem cells, but there is scant information on what exactly this factor does or how it is itself regulated. An important clue as to its regulation and function now comes from a study by Guy Fuhrmann, Arthur Chung and colleagues2, published in a recent issue of Developmental Cell.

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  1. Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, 19107, Pennsylvania, USA

    Peter J. Donovan

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  1. Peter J. Donovan
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Donovan, P. High Oct-ane fuel powers the stem cell. Nat Genet 29, 246–247 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1101-246

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1101-246

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