POU domain class 5 transcription factor 1 (OCT4)

POU domain class 5 transcription factor 1, widely known as OCT4, is a master regulator of pluripotency and self-renewal in embryonic stem cells and germ cells [1, 3, 5]. It functions by binding to specific octamer DNA motifs and forming synergistic complexes with other factors like SOX2 and NANOG to maintain an undifferentiated cellular state [5, 9, 10]. While typically silenced in adult somatic tissues, its aberrant re-expression is a hallmark of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in various malignancies, including germ cell tumors, lung, bladder, and breast cancers [2, 11, 21]. In the tumor microenvironment, OCT4 activity drives proliferation, metastasis, and acquired resistance to chemotherapeutic agents like cisplatin [12, 13, 21]. Therapeutic strategies, such as using all-trans retinoic acid to repress OCT4 transcription, aim to sensitize tumors to treatment by eradicating the resilient stem cell-like population [12].

Other names

POU5F1OCT3Oct-3/4OTF3Octamer-binding transcription factor 4Octamer-binding protein 3Octamer-binding protein 4POU class 5 homeobox 1OTF-3OTF4

Transcriptional repression of stemness genes and inhibition of cancer stem cell maintenance [7, 12].