homeobox protein NANOG (homeobox transcription factor Nanog, hNanog, NANOG)

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Function

transcription regulator involved in inner cell mass & embryonic stem cells proliferation & self-renewal
imposes pluripotency on embryonic cells & prevents their differentiation towards extraembryonic endoderm & trophectoderm lineages
blocks bone morphogenetic protein-induced mesoderm differentiation of embryonic stem cells by interacting with SMAD1 & interfering with recruitment of coactivators to active SMAD transcriptional complexes
transcriptional activator or transcriptional repressor
binds optimally to the DNA consensus sequence 5'-[CG][GA][CG]C[GC]ATTAN[GC]-3'
when overexpressed, promotes entry into S phase & cell proliferation
interacts with SMAD1 & SALL4

expressed in embryonic stem cell cells
expressed in inner cell mass of the blastocyst & gonocytes between 14-19 weeks of gestation
not expressed in oocytes, unfertilized oocytes, 2-16 cell embryos & early morula
expressed in embryonic stem cells
expression decreases with embryonic stem cell differentiation
expressed in fetal gonads, ovary, testis
not expressed in many somatic organs & oocytes

expressed in testicular carcinoma & derived germ cell tumors
expressed in ovary teratocarcinoma cell line & testicular embryonic carcinoma Gene may be duplicated (10 copies) as pseudogene or retrogene