title: Expression and differentiation between OCT4A and its Pseudogenes in human ESCs and differentiated adult somatic cells.
abstract: The POU5F1 gene codes for the OCT4 transcription factor, which is one of the key regulators of pluripotency. Its transcription, alternative splicing, and alternative translation leading to the synthesis of the active, nuclear localized OCT4A has been described in detail. Much less, however, is known about actively transcribed OCT4 pseudogenes, several of which display high homology to OCT4A and can be expressed and translated into proteins. Using RT-PCR followed by pseudogene-specific restriction digestion, cloning, and sequencing we discriminate between OCT4A and transcripts for pseudogenes 1, 3 and 4. We show that expression of OCT4 and its pseudogenes follows a developmentally-regulated pattern in differentiating hESCs, indicating a tight regulatory relationship between them. We further demonstrate that differentiated human cells from a variety of tissues express exclusively pseudogenes. Expression of OCT4A can, however be triggered in adult differentiated cells by oxygen and FGF2-dependent mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Blood Transfusion Centre of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Mojca
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jez
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Sakthikumar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ambady
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kashpur
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grella
authors.affiliation: Bioengineering Institute, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America ; CellThera, Inc., Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Malcuit
authors.affiliation: CellThera, Inc., Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vilner
authors.affiliation: Blood Transfusion Centre of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Primoz
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rozman
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America ; Bioengineering Institute, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America ; CellThera, Inc., Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dominko
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D057026:Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D011544:Pseudogenes / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; C494173:POU5F1 protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D010100:Oxygen