Cancer Diagnostics Solutions
Octamer transcription factor-2 (OCT-2) possesses a leucine zipper domain and belongs to the POU family of transcription factors. It binds to the octamer motif (5-ATTTCAT-3), activates immunoglobulin gene expression and regulates transcription in a number of tissues. OCT-2 is important for the expression of B cell specific genes, such as CD20 and CRISP-3. OCT-2 antibody is expressed in mature B cells, predominantly germinal center B cells. The OCT-2 antibody labels various B cell lymphomas with strong expression in germinal center-derived lymphomas
OCT-4, also referred to as OTF3 or POU5F1, is a transcription factor belonging to the POU family, essential for maintaining pluripotency and self-renewal in embryonic stem cells. It binds specifically to the octamer sequence 5'-ATTTCAT-3' and plays a pivotal role in early embryonic development. OCT-4 expression is restricted to undifferentiated pluripotent cells and germ cells within the testes and ovaries. Its expression is implicated in tumorigenesis, particularly influencing tumor recurrence and resistance to therapy. OCT-4 serves as a highly sensitive and specific immunohistochemical marker for germ cell tumors, with consistent expression in precursor lesions such as carcinoma in situ and gonadoblastoma, as well as in seminoma, dysgerminoma, germinoma, and embryonal carcinoma. Notably, OCT-4 is absent in the differentiated elements of non-seminomatous germ cell tumors, including teratomas, yolk sac tumors, and choriocarcinomas. Immunodetection of OCT-4 is valuable for identifying both primary and metastatic germ cell neoplasms.
shown to be important regulators of tissue-specific gene expression in lymphoid and pituitary differentiation and in early mammalian development. POU domain proteins contain a bipartite DNA binding domain divided by a flexible linker that enables them to adopt various monomer configurations on DNA. The versatility of POU protein operation is additionally conferred at the dimerization level. Oct-3 (also known as Oct-4) is a mammalian POU transcription factor expressed by early embryo cells and germ cells. Oct-4 is essential for the identity of the pluripotential founder cell population in the mammalian embryo. A critical amount of Oct-4 is required to sustain stem-cell self-renewal, and up or down regulation induce divergent developmental programs. Two isoforms of Oct-3, termed Oct-3A and Oct-3B, are generated by alternative splicing. The gene which encodes Oct-3/4 maps to human chromosome 6p21.3. Oct-4 (C-10) is recommended for detection of Oct-3A (Oct-4) and Oct-3B of mouse, rat and human origin by Western Blotting, immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, and paraffin immunohistochemistry
Oligodendrocyte transcription factor 2 (OLIG2) is a basic helix?loop?helix (bHLH) transcription factor encoded by the OLIG2 gene. The protein consists of 329 amino acids, has a molecular weight of approximately 32 kDa, and contains a single bHLH DNA-binding domain. OLIG2 is one of three members of the OLIG family, together with OLIG1 and OLIG3. Its expression is largely restricted to the central nervous system, where it functions as both a pro-neurogenic and anti-neurogenic regulator depending on the developmental stage. OLIG2 plays a pivotal role in motor neuron specification, oligodendrocyte differentiation, and the maintenance of progenitor proliferation during early neurodevelopment.
Immunohistochemically, OLIG2 expression is consistently observed in diffuse gliomas, including glioblastomas, astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, and oligoastrocytomas, making it a highly reliable diagnostic marker. In contrast, OLIG2 is absent in non-glial tumors such as medulloblastomas, ependymomas, subependymomas, CNS lymphomas, meningiomas, schwannomas, atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors, and hemangioblastomas. Compared to the strong nuclear staining characteristic of gliomas, only weak reactivity may be seen in reactive gliosis of non-neoplastic brain tissue.
Recognizes a protein of 150kDa, which is identified as the high Olig2, a basic helix loop helix transcription factor, is involved in oligo-dendroglial specification. Olig2 expression has been reported in most glial tumors, such as oligodendrogliomas and astrocytomas. Although more than half of glioblastomas are positive for Olig2, expression is very weak in terms of both percentage of labeled cells and intensity. No Olig2 expression has been found in the non-glial tumors including neuroepithelial tumors, ependymomas, sub ependymomas, medulloblastomas, and non-neuroepithelial tumors, such as CNS lymphomas, meningiomas, schwannomas, atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor, and haemangioblastomas. Compared to the strong staining seen in glioma samples, a weak expression is observed in non-tumoral brain tissue.
SPARC (Secreted Protein Acidic and Rich in Cysteine), also known as osteonectin, is a phosphorylated, acidic, glycine-rich extracellular matrix glycoprotein predominantly secreted by endothelial cells. It is abundantly expressed in the parietal endoderm of murine embryos and in the human placenta. Highly conserved across species, SPARC plays a crucial role in tissue remodeling and mineralization, particularly in bone calcification. Its expression is up regulated in endothelial cells in response to specific forms of vascular injury. Functionally, SPARC modulates endothelial barrier integrity by inducing cytoskeletal reorganization through F-actin-mediated morphological changes, leading to cell rounding and the formation of intercellular gaps. These gaps facilitate the paracellular transport of macromolecules, contributing to increased vascular permeability.