Selective influence of Sox2 on POU transcription factor binding in embryonic and neural stem cells

ABSTRACT: Embryonic stem cell (ESCs) identity is orchestrated by co-operativity between the transcription factors (TFs) Sox2 and the class V POU-TF, Oct4 at composite Sox/Oct motifs. Neural stem cells (NSCs) lack Oct4 but express Sox2 and class III POU-TFs. This raises the question of how Sox2 interacts with POU-TFs to transcriptionally specify ESCs or NSCs. Here we show that Oct4 alone binds the Sox/Oct motif and the octamer-containing palindromic MORE equally well. Sox2 binding selectively increases the affinity of Oct4 for the Sox/Oct motif. In contrast, Oct6 binds preferentially to the MORE, and is unaffected by Sox2. ChIP-seq in NSCs shows the MORE to be the most enriched motif for class III POU-TFs, with MORE sub-types apparent, but no Sox/Oct motif enrichment. These results suggest that in NSCs, co-operativity between Sox2 and class III POU-TFs may not occur and that POU-TF driven transcription uses predominantly the MORE cis architecture. Thus, distinct interactions between Sox2 and POU-TF subclasses distinguish pluripotent ESCs from multipotent NSCs, providing molecular insight into how Oct4 alone can convert NSCs to pluripotency.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE69859 | GEO | 2015/08/21

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA286988

REPOSITORIES: GEO