OCT4 Spliced Variants Are Differentially Expressed in Human Pluripotent and Nonpluripotent Cells

Abstract

OCT4 is a master regulator of self-renewal in embryonic stem cells and can potentially encode two spliced variants, designated OCT4A and OCT4B. We have examined the expression pattern of these OCT4 isoforms in various human pluripotent and nonpluripotent cells. Our data revealed that whereas OCT4A expression is restricted to embryonic stem (ES) and embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells, OCT4B can be detected in various nonpluripotent cell types. Furthermore, we detected a novel OCT4 spliced variant, designated OCT4B1, that is expressed primarily in human ES and EC cells and is downregulated following their differentiation. We also found a significantly higher level of OCT4B1 expression in stage-specific embryonic antigen-3 (SSEA3)(؉) compared with SSEA3(؊) subpopulations of cultured ES cells. Taken together, our data demonstrated a distinctive expression pattern for OCT4 spliced variants in different cell types and highlight the necessity of defining the type of OCT4 when addressing the expression of this gene in different human cells. STEM CELLS 2008; 26:3068 -3074 Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.

Oct-4+/Tenascin C+ neuroblastoma cells serve as progenitors of tumor-derived endothelial cells

“…Notably in this respect, FISH experiments with human MYCN-specific and mouse Cot-1 DNA probes showed that pericytes were always of murine origin (data not shown), similarly to that previously reported in primary NB and in the HTLA-230 pseudometastatic model [8]. As in primary NB, the granular cytoplasmic pattern of Oct-4 staining in orthotopic HTLA-230 tumors prevailed over the nuclear punctate pattern ( Figure 1A-1D) [30]. In order to investigate the immunophenotypic profile of perivascular Oct-4 + NB cells from orthotopic tumors, these cells were tested by immunofluorescence for the expression of panels of stem cell-related, neural progenitor-related and NB-related markers.…”

“…Oct-4A is specifically involved in stemness maintenance, is highly expressed in human embryonic stem cells and downregulated following differentiation [30]. Oct-4A, together with SOX-2 and NANOG, governs the transcriptional regulatory network by activating expression of pluripotency-related genes and repressing expression of differentiation-related genes [30].…”

Comparative Analysis of Oct4 in Different Histological Subtypes of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinomas in Different Clinical Conditions

“…There are two studies (Tai et al, 2005;He et al, 2012) who had reported Oct4 expression by dysplastic and hyperplastic esophageal mucosa confining to the proliferative zone, and not expressed by the normal mucosa. Oct4 positivity is reported in certain adult tissue including benign endometrial stromal cells (Atlasi et al, 2006;Cauffman et al, 2006;Mathai et al, 2006;Katona et al, 2007;Zangrossi et al, 2007;Atlasi et al, 2008;Forte et al, 2009). We observed slightly higher sensitivity by PCR technique than by the conventional immunohistochemistry method in detecting Oct4 expression, which is similar to other reported data (Atlasi et al, 2006;Xi et al, 2011;.…”

The Development of Cutaneous Neurofibromas

“…In addition, OCT4B isoform was detected using isoform specific RT-PCR (not shown). 21 However, the isoform A, specific for embryonic stem cells, was not detectable. These results indicate that neurofibromas contain multipotent cells that may contribute to the tumor formation.…”