title: Characterization of the POU5F1 Homologue in Nile Tilapia: From Expression Pattern to Biological Activity.
abstract: POU5F1 (OCT4) is a crucial transcription factor for induction and maintenance of cellular pluripotency, as well as survival of germ cells in mammals. However, the homologues of POU5F1 in teleost fish, including zebrafish and medaka, now named Pou5f3, exhibit considerable differences in expression pattern and pluripotency-maintaining activity. To what extent the POU5F1 homologues are conserved in vertebrates has been unclear. In this study, we report that the POU5F1 homologue from the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), OnPou5f3, displays an expression pattern and biological activity somewhat different from those in zebrafish or medaka. The expression of Onpou5f3 at both mRNA and protein levels was abundant in early development embryos until blastula stages, barely detectable as proceeding, and then displayed a transiently strong expression domain in the brain region during neurula stages similar to zebrafish but not medaka. Afterward, OnPou5f3 appeared as germline-restricted (including primordial germ cells and female and male gonad germ cells) expression just like medaka. Notably, OnPou5f3 depletion through morpholino oligos caused blastula blockage or lethality and failure of survival and proliferation of blastula cell-derived cells. These findings indicate that equivalent POU5F1-like expression and activity of Pou5f3 might be conserved accompanying with species-specific expression pattern during evolution. Our study provides insight into the evolutionary conservation of the POU5F1 homologues across vertebrates.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University , Chongqing, China .
authors.forename: Huang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xiaohuan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University , Chongqing, China .
authors.forename: Zhao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University , Chongqing, China .
authors.forename: Liu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Linyan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University , Chongqing, China .
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhenhua
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University , Chongqing, China .
authors.forename: Zhou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Linyan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University , Chongqing, China .
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhijian
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University , Chongqing, China .
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University , Chongqing, China .
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Deshou
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University , Chongqing, China .
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jing
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity / Q000276:immunology; D001483:Base Sequence; D036703:Blastula / Q000166:cytology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival; D023681:Cichlids / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D006066:Gonads / Q000378:metabolism; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3