OCT4 controls mitotic spindle function and inactivates the RB tumor suppressor pathway to enhance high-grade serous ovarian cancer aggressiveness

The transcription factor OCT4 orchestrates self-renewal gene expression signatures in embryonic stem cells and cancer cells. We show that OCT4 enhances HG-SOC aggressiveness by promoting the inactivation of the Retinoblastoma pathway and mediating mitotic stability by driving the expression of Chromosomal Passenger Complex in HG-SOC. Our data show that OCT4 has an unprecedented role in enforcing mitotic stability and controlling the RB tumorsuppressor pathway in human cancer cells. Ovcar3 cell lines were transfected with control or Oct4 siRNA, Rb1 siRNA, or Ccnf siRNA + Nipp1 siRNA. The study comprises three experimental conditions and the control cell lines, each in triplicate.