Oct-1, to go or not to go? That is the PolII question

• Oct-1 is a ubiquitous factor that interacts with the core transcription machinery.
• It can remodel chromatin as well as recruit PolII and activate initiation.
• Oct-1 stalls PolII on inducible genes to promote rapid transcription on stimulation.
• It is responsive to signalling through additional transcription factors.
• The functions of Oct-1 include general transcription and also cell-type-specificity.

The Oct transcription factors recognise an octamer DNA element from which they regulate transcription of specific target genes. Oct-1 is the only member of the subfamily that is ubiquitously expressed and has a wide role in transcriptional control. Through interaction with various partner proteins, Oct-1 can modulate accessibility to the chromatin to recruit the transcription machinery and form the pre-initiation complex. The recruited PolII is induced to initiate transcription and stalled until elongation is triggered on interaction with signalling transcription factors. In this way, Oct-1 can fulfil general roles in transcription by opening the chromatin as well as transduce extracellular signals by relaying activation through various interacting partners. The emerging picture of Oct-1 is that of a complex and versatile transcription factor with fundamental functions in cell homeostasis and signal response in general as well as cell specific contexts. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: The Oct Transcription Factor Family, edited by Dr. Dean Tantin.

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