Mice homozygous for this Oct4-EGFP mutation are viable and fertile. They harbor an IRES-EGFP fusion cassette downstream of the stop codon of the Oct4 (Pou5f1) gene. When treated with specific transcription factors (Oct4, Sox2, c-Myc and Klf4), some Oct4-EGFP murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) have the properties of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Such iPS cells have the DNA methylation, gene expression and chromatin state of embryonic stem cells and can form viable chimeras, contribute to the germ line, and generate live late-term embryos when injected into tetraploid blastocysts. These Oct4-EGFP mutant mice may be useful for fluorescent labeling of embryonic stem cells, as well as for the selection of iPS cells (i.e. epigenetic reprogramming of somatic cells into pluripotent embryonic stem cells).
Of note, these Oct4-EGFP mutant mice may also be used in conjunction with Oct4-neo mice (Stock No. 008204); a similar mutant strain bearing a neo selection cassette in the Oct4 locus.
