Function of KLF4 in Stem Cell Biology

The Kruppel-like factor family is a group of zinc finger containing transcription factors, which are highly homologous with the Drosophila Kruppel protein. The feature that distin‐ guishes the KLF family from other zinc finger containing transcriptional factors is the pres‐ ence of three highly conserved C2H2 containing zinc finger motifs at the C-terminus [1-3]. These fingers enable KLFs to bind to the GC-box or CACCC-boxes on DNA with different affinities [4]. KLF4, as a member of KLF family, expresses in a wide range of tissues in mam‐ mals, and plays a critical role in regulating a diverse array of cellular processes including proliferation, differentiation, development, maintenance of normal tissue homeostasis and apoptosis. KLF4 can also acts either as a tumor suppressor or an oncogene depending on differing cellular context and cancer types.