Evolutionary and Functional Analysis of the Key Pluripotency Factor Oct4 and Its Family Proteins  

作　　者：Xinmin Zhang Yuzhen Ma Xiuying Liu Qi Zhou Xiu-Jie Wang 

机构地区：[1]Computer & Information Engineering College,Inner Mongolia Normal University [2]Centre of Reproductive Medicine,Inner Mongolia Hospital [3]State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics,Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology,Chinese Academy of Sciences [4]University of Chinese Academy of Sciences [5]State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology,Institute of Zoology,Chinese Academy of Sciences

出　　处：《Journal of Genetics and Genomics》2013年第8期399-412,共14页遗传学报（英文版）

基　　金：supported by the grants from the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(No.2011CBA01101 to X.-J.W.);the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Nos. XDA01020105,KSCX2-EW-R-01-03 and 2010-Biols-CAS- 0303 to X.-J.W.)

摘　　要：Oct4 is one of the key pluripotent factors essential for embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem （iPS） cells. Oct4 belongs to the POU domain family, which contains multiples genes with various important functions. Although the function of Oct4 has been extensively studied, detailed comparison of Oct4 with other POU family genes and their evolutionary analysis are still lacking. Here, we systematically identified POU family genes from lower to higher animal species. We observed an expansion of POU family genes in vertebrates, with an additional increment in mammalian genomes. We analyzed the phylogenetic relationship, tissue specific expression profiles and regulatory networks of POU family genes of the human genome, and predicted the putative binding microRNAs of human POU family genes. These results provide the first comprehensive evolutionary and comparative analysis of POU family genes, which will help to better understand the relationships among POU family genes and shed light on their future functional studies.Oct4 is one of the key pluripotent factors essential for embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem （iPS） cells. Oct4 belongs to the POU domain family, which contains multiples genes with various important functions. Although the function of Oct4 has been extensively studied, detailed comparison of Oct4 with other POU family genes and their evolutionary analysis are still lacking. Here, we systematically identified POU family genes from lower to higher animal species. We observed an expansion of POU family genes in vertebrates, with an additional increment in mammalian genomes. We analyzed the phylogenetic relationship, tissue specific expression profiles and regulatory networks of POU family genes of the human genome, and predicted the putative binding microRNAs of human POU family genes. These results provide the first comprehensive evolutionary and comparative analysis of POU family genes, which will help to better understand the relationships among POU family genes and shed light on their future functional studies.

关 键 词：OCT4 Induced pluripotent stem cell POU family MicroRNA Evolutionary analysis 

分 类 号：R329[医药卫生—人体解剖和组织胚胎学]