Pou5f1/oct4 in pluripotency control: Insights from zebrafish

Abstract

Summary: Gastrulation in vertebrates is a conserved process, which involves transition from cellular pluripotency to early precursors of ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. Pluripotency control during this stage is far from being understood. Recent genetic and transcriptomic studies in zebrafish suggest that the core pluripotency transcription factors (TFs) Pou5f1 and TFs of the SoxB1 group are critically involved in large-scale temporal coordination of gene expression during gastrulation. A significant number of evolutionary conserved target genes of Pou5f1 in zebrafish are also involved in stem-cell circuit in mammalian ES cell cultures. Here, I will review the roles of Pou5f1 in development and discuss the evolutionary conservation of Pou5f1 functions and their relation to pluripotency control. genesis 50:75-85, 2012. V V C 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Oct4 Cell-Autonomously Promotes Primitive Endoderm Development in the Mouse Blastocyst

“…First, Oct4 is detected in both EPI and PE compartments of the blastocyst at equal levels (Guo et al, 2010; Palmieri et al, 1994). Second, Oct4 orthologues are required for definitive endoderm development in zebrafish (Onichtchouk, 2011). Third, Oct4 participates in endoderm formation in stem cell models (Aksoy et al, 2013; Gore et al, 2011; Niwa et al, 2000; Stefanovic et al, 2009; Teo et al, 2011; Zeineddine et al, 2006).…”

The Vox mRNA and protein expression in zebrafish Pou5f3 MZspg mutant embryos

“…The role of genome global activators in zebrafish is performed by several transcription factors-homologues of the transcription factors of pluripotency-Pou5f3, SoxB1 and Nanog (6,7). Under their influence there are activated tissue-specific genes in different parts of embryo (4,8,9). In particular, it was shown that in the MZspg (spiel ohne grenzen) mutants devoid of both maternal and embryonic Pou5f3 functions, the expression of 595 genes was almost halved (8).…”

Oct transcription factors in development and stem cells: insights and mechanisms

“…The roles of most of these are poorly characterized, although Pou5f1 (Pou2) is the best studied (Belting et al, 2001;Burgess et al, 2002;Lachnit et al, 2008;Onichtchouk, 2012;Song et al, 2013). Historically, the term POU2 has been applied to numerous POU class V Oct4 orthologs in different vertebrates, including zebrafish.…”

“…Fish deficient in maternal zygotic Pou5f1 display pleiotropic phenotypes around the time of gastrulation. These include overall dorsalization of the embryo, defective Egf expression leading to cytoskeletal defects and delay of epiboly, and deficient endoderm formation (Burgess et al, 2002;Lachnit et al, 2008;Onichtchouk, 2012;Song et al, 2013). In addition, in the developing brain Pou5f1 ablation results in severe defects in the midbrain and hindbrain primordia (Belting et al, 2001;Burgess et al, 2002).…”