Oct4 is a core component of the regulatory network of pluripotency. Schöler and colleagues found that establishment of totipotency was not affected by genetic elimination of maternal Oct4a, with live offspring being born and oocytes able to reprogram somatic cell nuclei. However, ablation of both maternal and zygotic Oct4a led to the formation of an inner cell mass that was not pluripotent.
- Guangming Wu
- Dong Han
- Hans R. Schöler
