Year: 2011
Type: article
Abstract: JENNIFER L. YORI Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) is a zinc-finger transcription factor which plays an integral role in a myriad of cellular processes, ranging from regulation of the cell cycle in modulating proliferation and apoptosis, to exquisite control of differentiation and cell morphology during both development and normal tissue homeostasis, as well as disease progression.The advent of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell generation has expanded KLF4"s regulatory repertoire to include a functional role in the maintenance and renewal of the stem cell state.Initially discovered in a genetic screen to identify transcription factors involved in growth regulation, KLF4 was first described as gut-enriched Krüppellike factor (GKLF) and epithelial zinc finger (EZF), as expression was found to be enriched in epithelial versus mesenchymal cells, and those of the gastrointestinal tract.Subsequent studies have identified diverse regulatory roles for KLF4 in a multitude of cell types and tissues, from the cornea to the cardiovascular system.The role of KLF4 during diseased states is as diverse as its function during normal development and tissue homeostasis.Predominantly recognized as an anti-proliferative factor, the first implications of its role as a tumor suppressor came from studies demonstrating loss of KLF4 in gastric and colorectal cancers.However, evidence of increased KLF4 expression in squamous cell carcinoma and ductal carcinoma of the
Author: Jennifer L. Yori
Institution: Case Western Reserve University
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G350671700, G8375511425
OpenAlex ID: W97607533