Among the 15 newly expressed genes, Dppa5, Gata1 and Zeb1 are the best known and their main functions will be described in the section below. In summary, this analysis brought to light in MII oocytes, a maternal Oct4 TN made of 182 genes. Within this circuitry, we could identify a restricted Oct4 OETN made of 80 genes as core component common to the molecular identity of both eggs and 2 cell Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries embryos. Almost half, each containing at least one of the 80 Oct4 OETN genes. Based on GO annota tions and on a literature catalogues Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries search, 18 of the 19 clusters could be ascribed to a major biological function. A description of the main characteristics of each gene cluster and of those Oct4 OETN genes for which func tional details were retrieved is given in Additional AV-951 file 7.
In summary, those Oct4 OETN genes for which we could retrieve solid information fell Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries into three main categories with 3 genes, 1 cancer, 18 genes, 2 preimplantation development pluripotency, 14 genes, 3 cell division, 4 genes. Among the poorly known genes remaining, there is a group made of 7 genes with apoptotic anti apoptotic functions, whereas all the others could not be grouped as they fell into several different categories, each with less than three genes. This information improves our understanding of the maternal Oct4 TN composition, but also will serve as basic knowledge for further dissection and future studies of its role in oogen esis and preimplantation development.
Most genes of the maternal Oct4 transcriptional network are also expressed in cancer cells Since one of the most abundant categories singled out when dissecting Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries the expanded Oct4 TN correlated with cancer, we interrogated a more specific repository of cancer related genes, i. e. genes that, compared to con trols, are significantly up or down regulated in a wide variety of solid and non solid tumours. Strikingly, the great majority, 157 out of 197 of the expanded Oct4 TN and 65 out of 80 Oct4 OETN genes, were recognised as cancer related genes. The non stochastic nature of these frequencies was confirmed by the hypergeometric test. Discussion Each cell type in our body has its own molecular iden tity defined by a number of transcriptional networks that operate and cooperate to maintain the cell integrity and a specific undifferentiated differentiated status. Dur ing cell differentiation some transcriptional network die out or fade one into another while guiding the cell towards the acquisition of a specific phenotype. Tran scriptional inheritance is the load of transcripts and active genes that are passed to the subsequent step of differentiation. Likewise, the mammalian egg reaches the fertilisation encounter with a transcriptional inheritance representative of its developmental legacy.