Oct4

[Nature Communications] Using a highly parallelized approach to investigate pioneer transcription factor (PF) ability to bind methylated DNA and induce DNA demethylation, researchers showed the complex interdependence between DNA methylation and transcription factor binding; while some PFs did not affect the methylation status of their binding sites, they identified PFs that could protect DNA from methylation and others that could induce DNA demethylation at methylated binding sites.

[Oncogene] Investigators provided evidence that the CSC-related transcription factor Oct4 contributes to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma radioresistance by regulating DNA damage response and the CSC phenotype.

[International Journal of Molecular Sciences] Investigators generated a ubiquitin-specific protease 3 gene knockout using the CRISPR/Cas9 system and demonstrated that USP3 acts as a protein stabilizer of Oct4 by deubiquitinating Oct4.

[FEB Letters] Scientists found that the HO-1 gene was expressed in ESCs and induced after promoting differentiation. Downregulation of the pluripotency transcription factor (TF) OCT4 increased HO-1 mRNA levels in ESCs, and analysis of ChIP-seq public data revealed that this TF bound to the HO-1 gene locus in pluripotent cells.

[Stem Cell Research & Therapy] Researchers generated iPSCs from 3 different GS-2 patients using lentiviral vectors. The iPSCs were characterized using flow cytometry and RT-PCR and tested for the expression of pluripotency markers. In vivo differentiation to cells from all three germlines was tested using a teratoma assay. In vitro differentiation of GS-2 iPSCs into hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells was done using Op9 feeder layers and specified media.

[Cell and Bioscience] Scientists investigated the effect of direct contact of prostate cancer (PCa) cells with mesenchymal stem cells on the stemness of PCa and its mechanisms.