Roles of Krüppel-like factor 4 in normal homeostasis, cancer and stem cells

Paul M. Evans, Chunming Liu

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

165 Scopus citations

Abstract

Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) is a zinc finger-type transcription factor expressed in a variety of tissues, including the epithelium of the intestine and the skin, and it plays an important role in differentiation and cell cycle arrest. Depending on the gene targeted, KLF4 can both activate and repress transcription. Moreover, in certain cellular contexts, KLF4 can function as a tumor suppressor or an oncogene. Finally, KLF4 is important in reprogramming differentiated fibroblasts into inducible pluripotent stem cells, which highly resemble embryonic stem cells. This review summarizes what is known about the diverse functions of KLF4 as well as their molecular mechanisms.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)554-564
Number of pages11
JournalActa Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica
Volume40
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2008

Keywords

  • Colorectal cancer
  • Krüppel-like factor 4
  • Stem cell

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biophysics
  • Biochemistry

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