OLIG2
Encyclopedia
Oligodendrocyte transcription factor 2 is a protein
that in humans is encoded by the OLIG2 gene
.
. Its expression is predominantly restricted to the central nervous system
. The protein is an essential regulator of ventral neuroectodermal progenitor cell fate and is required for oligodendrocyte and motor neuron development.
. Its chromosomal location is within a region of chromosome 21 which has been suggested to play a role in learning deficits associated with Down syndrome
.
OLIG2 is a universal marker of diffuse glioma
s (oligodendroglioma, astrocytoma, glioblastoma, and mixed glioma).. The expression in diffuse gliomas is distinct from other types of brain tumors and therefore is clinically useful as a pathologic marker for distinguishing these cancers
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
that in humans is encoded by the OLIG2 gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
.
Function
Oligodendrocyte transcription factor 2 is a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factorTranscription factor
In molecular biology and genetics, a transcription factor is a protein that binds to specific DNA sequences, thereby controlling the flow of genetic information from DNA to mRNA...
. Its expression is predominantly restricted to the central nervous system
Central nervous system
The central nervous system is the part of the nervous system that integrates the information that it receives from, and coordinates the activity of, all parts of the bodies of bilaterian animals—that is, all multicellular animals except sponges and radially symmetric animals such as jellyfish...
. The protein is an essential regulator of ventral neuroectodermal progenitor cell fate and is required for oligodendrocyte and motor neuron development.
Clinical signficance
The OLIG2 gene was originally discovered as a chromosomal translocation t(14;21)(q11.2;q22) associated with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemiaLeukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
. Its chromosomal location is within a region of chromosome 21 which has been suggested to play a role in learning deficits associated with Down syndrome
Down syndrome
Down syndrome, or Down's syndrome, trisomy 21, is a chromosomal condition caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. It is named after John Langdon Down, the British physician who described the syndrome in 1866. The condition was clinically described earlier in the 19th...
.
OLIG2 is a universal marker of diffuse glioma
Glioma
A glioma is a type of tumor that starts in the brain or spine. It is called a glioma because it arises from glial cells. The most common site of gliomas is the brain.-By type of cell:...
s (oligodendroglioma, astrocytoma, glioblastoma, and mixed glioma).. The expression in diffuse gliomas is distinct from other types of brain tumors and therefore is clinically useful as a pathologic marker for distinguishing these cancers