POU domain, class 5, transcription factor 1; octamer-binding protein 3; Oct-3; octamer-binding protein 4; Oct-4; octamer-binding transcription factor 3; OTF-3 (POU5F1, OCT3, OCT4, OTF3)

Function

• transcription factor & DNA-binding protein
• binds to the octamer motif 5'-ATTTGCAT-3'
• forms a trimeric complex with SOX2 on DNA
• controls expression of a number of genes involved in embryonic development such as YES1, FGF4, UTF1 & ZFP206
• critical for early embryogenesis & for embryonic stem cell pluripotency
• interacts with UBE2I (putative)
• sumoylation enhances the protein stability, DNA binding & transactivation activity
• sumoylation is required for enhanced YES1 expression (putative)

Structure

• belongs to the POU transcription factor family, class- 5 subfamily
• contains 1 homeobox DNA-binding domain
• contains 1 POU-specific domain

Compartment

• nucleus
• expressed in a diffuse & slightly punctuate pattern (putative)

Alternative splicing

named isoforms=2

Expression

• expressed in developing brain
• highest levels found in specific cell layers of the cortex, the olfactory bulb, the hippocampus & the cerebellum
• low levels of expression in adult tissues

Genetics

• several pseudogenes of POU5F1 have been described on chromosomes 1, 3, 8, 10 & 12
• 2 of them, localized in chromosomes 8 & 10, are transcribed in cancer tissues but not in normal ones & may be involved in the regulation of POU5F1 gene activity in carcinogenesis
• one of 4 Yamanaka factors along with SOX2, MYC/c-Myc & KLF4 necessary & sufficient for transforming differentiated cells (fibroblasts) into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS)

More general terms

• octamer transcription factor

Database

• Entrez gene: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=gene&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Graphics&list_uids=5460
• Kegg: http://www.genome.jp/dbget-bin/www_bget?hsa:5460
• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/164177
• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q01860.html