Oct1 And Oca-B Regulate The Myeloid Leukemic Phenotype

Oct1, encoded by the Pou2f1 gene, is a widely expressed transcription factor that is associated with metabolic control, stress response, stem cell phenotypes and malignant transformation. Oct1 associates with a number of cofactors including the activating cofactor OCA-B encoded by Pou2af1. OCA-B is normally expressed specifically in B cells, but is misexpressed in about 30% of AML cases in myeloid cells and is a poor prognostic indicator. We observed a conserved Oct1 binding site in the promoter of Cdx2, a homeodomain transcription factor that is normally expressed solely in the gastrointestinal tract of adult humans, but has been shown to misexpressed in blood cells in almost all cases of AML. Our study looks at the interaction of Oct1 with Cdx2, and the effects of Oct1 and OCAB-B knockout in a mouse model of AML.