|-
| align="center" colspan="2" |
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| colspan="2" bgcolor="#dddddd" | Identifiers
|-
| bgcolor="#e7dcc3" | Symbol(s)
| bgcolor="#eeeeee" | [POU5F1] OTF3
|-
| bgcolor="#e7dcc3" | Entrez
| bgcolor="#eeeeee" | [5460]
|- class="hiddenStructure"
| bgcolor="#e7dcc3" | OMIM
| bgcolor="#eeeeee" | [164177]
|-
| bgcolor="#e7dcc3" | RefSeq
| bgcolor="#eeeeee" | [NM_002701]
|-
| bgcolor="#e7dcc3" | UniProt
| bgcolor="#eeeeee" | [Q01860]
|- class="hiddenStructure"
| bgcolor="#e7dcc3" | PDB
| bgcolor="#eeeeee" | []
|-
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#dddddd" | Other data
|- class="hiddenStructure"
| bgcolor="#e7dcc3" | EC number
| bgcolor="#eeeeee" | []
|-
| bgcolor="#e7dcc3" | Locus
| bgcolor="#eeeeee" | Chr. 6[p21.31]
|-
|}
Oct-4 is an abbreviation of Octamer-4. It is a transcription factor of the POU family. This protein is critically involved with self-renewal of undifferentiated embryonic stem cells. As such, it is frequently used as a marker for undifferentiated cells. Oct-4 expression must be closely regulated; too much or too little will actually cause differentiation of the cells.
[chemicon] "Expression of the POU-domain transcription factor Octamer-4 (Oct-4) is widely regarded as a hallmark of pluripotent stem cells. The relationship of Oct-4 to pluripotent stem cells is indicated by its tightly restricted expression to undifferentiated pluripotent stem cells. Upon differentiation to somatic lineages, the expression of Oct-4 disappears rapidly. Unlike the majority of pluripotent stem cell markers, the biological role of Oct-4 has been well characterized. Studies performed in mice point to the critical role of Oct-4 in the establishment and/or maintenance of pluripotent stem cells in an uncommitted state."
