Identification of putative downstream genes of Oct-3, a pluripotent cell-specific transcription factor.
BACKGROUND
Oct-3, a pluripotent cell-specific POU transcription factor, appears to be a key regulator in pluripotential early embryonic cells and germ cells. In order to study how pluripotency is maintained, it is essential to know what genes are regulated by Oct-3.


RESULTS
By employing a subtraction method, we identified several pluripotent cell-specific genes. Based upon expression patterns in various cell lines lacking or possessing Oct-3 function, about half of the genes were placed downstream of Oct-3. These downstream genes included a previously-known gene (Glut-3: a gene for a glucose transporter) and novel genes (226, 383 and 880). Their expression patterns paralleled that of Oct-3: all of these genes were highly expressed in pluripotent cells such as EC/ES cells, but switched off upon differentiation. More importantly, their expression was rescued in 'revertant' cells that ectopically acquired the Oct-3 transactivating function. Furthermore, the expression profiles of Glut-3, 226 and 383 during mouse development also overlapped that of Oct-3. The Glut-3 gene possessed multiple Oct-3 binding sites in its transcriptional regulatory regions, suggesting that at least one of the downstream genes was a direct target of Oct-3.


CONCLUSIONS
A large proportion of pluripotent cell-specific genes appear to be downstream targets of Oct-3.
Saijoh
Y
Y
Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Bunkyo-ku, Japan.
Fujii
H
H
Meno
C
C
Sato
M
M
Hirota
Y
Y
Nagamatsu
S
S
Ikeda
M
M
Hamada
H
H
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003001:Cloning, Molecular / Q000379:methods; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D051274:Glucose Transporter Type 3; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009004:Monosaccharide Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; D011485:Protein Binding; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051274:Glucose Transporter Type 3; D009004:Monosaccharide Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; C494174:Pou5f1 protein, mouse; C495689:Slc2a3 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors