title: Oct-4: lessons of totipotency from embryonic stem cells.
abstract: The Oct-4 transcription factor is expressed in embryonic stem cells and germ cells of the mouse embryo. Cells that are driven into embryonic and extraembryonic somatic differentiation lose Oct-4 expression. Oct-4 is crucial for the maintenance of the totipotency of embryonic cells at early developmental stages as demonstrated recently by homologous recombination. Since during embryogenesis Oct-4 is restricted to germ cells, it is possible that it plays a key role for the germline lineage by preventing differentiation of these cells during gastrulation. Thus, Oct-4 appears to be a key regulator of totipotency during the life cycle of mammals.
authors.affiliation: EMBL, Gene Expression Programme, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pesce
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Anastassiadis
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Schöler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D005333:Fetus / Q000166:cytology; D051379:Mice; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; C494174:Pou5f1 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors