title: Epoc-1: a POU-domain gene expressed in murine epidermal basal cells and thymic stromal cells.
abstract: POU-domain transcription factors are known as developmental regulators which control organ development and cell phenotypes. In order to clarify the roles of POU-domain transcription factors in cell differentiation, we cloned a novel POU family gene, Epoc-1, from a murine thymus cDNA library. The amino acid (aa) sequence of the POU-specific domain of Epoc-1 is almost identical to those of Oct-1 and Oct-2. However, within the POU-homeodomain, 13 out of 60 aa differ between Epoc-1 and Oct-2. Recombinant Epoc-1 products were found to bind specifically to the octamer sequence. Epoc-1 was found to be expressed in skin, thymus, stomach and testis. In situ hybridization experiments and RNase protection assays indicated that Epoc-1 is expressed in the epidermal basal cells of the skin, which contain stem cells unipotent for keratinocyte differentiation and in thymic stromal elements. These results suggest that Epoc-1 might be one of the developmental regulators which controls epidermal development and thymic organogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Osaka University, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yukawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yasui
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shiku
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kishimoto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kikutani
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000078404:Epidermal Cells; D004817:Epidermis / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D051863:Host Cell Factor C1; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D050811:Octamer Transcription Factor-1; D050813:Octamer Transcription Factor-2; D050810:Octamer Transcription Factors; D009928:Organ Specificity; D050809:POU Domain Factors; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C497693:Hcfc1 protein, mouse; D051863:Host Cell Factor C1; D050811:Octamer Transcription Factor-1; D050813:Octamer Transcription Factor-2; D050810:Octamer Transcription Factors; D050809:POU Domain Factors; C484169:POU2F3 protein, human; C494166:Pou2f1 protein, mouse; C489206:Pou2f2 protein, mouse; C084342:Pou2f3 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors; D004247:DNA