Differential expression of OCT4 pseudogenes in pluripotent and tumor cell lines

ABSTRACT

Objective: The human OCT4 gene, the most important pluripotency marker, can generate at least three different transcripts [OCT4A, OCT4B, and OCT4B1] by alternative splicing. OCT4A is the main isoform responsible for the stemness property of embryonic stem [ES] cells. There also exist eight processed OCT4 pseudogenes in the human genome with high homology to the OCT4A, some of which are transcribed in various cancers. Recent conflicting reports on OCT4 expression in tumor cells and tissues emphasize the need to discriminate the expression of OCT4A from other variants as well as OCT4 pseudogenes