title: In line with our ancestors: Oct-4 and the mammalian germ.
abstract: The transcription factor Oct-4 is expressed specifically in the totipotent germline cycle of mice. Cells that lose Oct-4 differentiate along different paths to form embryonic and extraembryonic somatic tissue. Oct-4 may maintain the potency of stem and germline cells by preventing all other differentiation pathways. Oct-4 may also regulate the molecular differentiation of cells in the germ lineage as it progresses from the fertilized egg, through cleavage stage/morula blastomeres, blastocyst, inner cell mass, epiblast, germ cells, and gametes. The factors that regulate, and are regulated by, Oct-4 are reviewed with respect to the phenomena of cell potency and germ/soma segregation and differentiation.
authors.affiliation: EMBL, Gene Expression Programme, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pesce
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Schöler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D019070:Cell Lineage; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics; D005810:Multigene Family; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; D013045:Species Specificity; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000196:embryology
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; C494173:POU5F1 protein, human; C494174:Pou5f1 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors