OBJECTIVES To explore the role of Oct3/4, Nanog and Sox2 in regeneration of rat tracheal epithelium. MATERIALS AND METHODS An ex vivo model of rat tracheal epithelial regeneration using 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was developed, to induce injury. Expression levels of Oct3/4, Nanog and Sox2 were examined using Western blot analysis, RT-PCR or microscopically observed immunofluorescence, and cell mor...

Sex determining region Y-box 2 (SOX2) is well known as one of the "stemness" factors and is often expressed in cancers including breast cancer. In this study, we developed a reporter system using fluorescent protein driven by the promoter for SOX2 gene to detect and isolate living SOX2-positive cells. Using this system, we determined that SOX2 promoter activities were well correlated with SOX2 ...

AIM To identify and characterize cancer stem cells (CSC) in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). METHODS Four-micrometer thick formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded GBM samples from six patients underwent 3,3-diaminobenzidine (DAB) and immunofluorescent (IF) immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for the embryonic stem cell (ESC) markers NANOG, OCT4, SALL4, SOX2, and pSTAT3. IF IHC staining was performed to...

Transcription factors (TFs) are gene expression regulators that bind to DNA in a sequence-specific manner and determine the functional characteristics of the gene. It is worthwhile to study the unique characteristics of such specific TF-binding pattern in DNA. Sox2 recognizes a 6- to 7-base pair consensus DNA sequence; the central four bases of the binding site are highly conserved, whereas the...

Sox2 is expressed by neural stem and progenitor cells, and a sox2 enhancer identifies these cells in the forebrains of both fetal and adult transgenic mouse reporters. We found that an adenovirus encoding EGFP placed under the regulatory control of a 0.4 kb sox2 core enhancer selectively identified multipotential and self-renewing neural progenitor cells in dissociates of human fetal forebrain....

The transcription factor Sox2 [SRY (sex-determining region Y)-box 2] is expressed at the earliest developmental stages in the nervous system and functions as a marker protein for neural development. Sox2 is found in embryonic neural stem cells as well as in virtually all adult neural stem cells of the subventricular region and the subgranular zone of the hippocampus. Gain-of-function and loss-o...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of SOX2, a key transcription factor and livin, an apoptotic inhibitor in bladder transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Moreover, their prognostic significance was assessed. METHODS The expressions of SOX2 and livin in 82 TCC and 35 SCC cases were detected by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS SOX2 a...

Sox2 is required for proper neuronal formation in the CNS, but the molecular mechanisms involved are not well characterized. Here, we addressed the role of Sox2 in neurogenesis of the developing chicken inner ear. Overexpressing Sox2 from a constitutive (β-actin) promoter induces the expression of the proneural gene, Neurogenin1 (Ngn1); however, the expression of a downstream target of Ngn1, Ne...

BACKGROUND Ewing's sarcoma is an aggressive bone and soft tissue tumor with a high incidence in children and adolescents. Due to its high malignancy and poor prognosis, identification of novel biomarkers for intervention therapies is necessary to improve outcome. The EWS/FLI1 fusion gene is a characteristic of Ewing's sarcoma in most cases. Sex determining region Y-box 2 (SOX2) is a primary tar...