Merck, AB9610, Anti-Olig-2 Antibody

Oligodendrocyte transcription factor 2 (UniProt: Q13516, also known as Oligo2, Class B basic helix-loop-helix protein 1, bHLHb1, Class E basic helix-loop-helix protein 19, bHLHe19, Protein kinase C-binding protein 2, Protein kinase C-binding protein RACK17) is encoded by the OLIG2 (also known as BHLHB1, BHLHE19, PRKCBP2, RACK17) gene (Gene ID: 10215) in human. Olig2 is expressed in the brain in oligodendrocytes. Its strong expression is also observed in oligodendrogliomas. Olig2 is required for oligodendrocyte and motor neuron specification in the spinal cord, as well as for the development of somatic motor neurons in the hindbrain. It functions together with ZNF488 to promote oligodendrocyte differentiation. Olig2 is observed in both nucleus and the cytoplasm. Its nuclear localization signal is contained in the bHLH domain (aa 108-162). It can be masked in the native form and translocation to the nucleus may be mediated by interaction either with class E bHLH partner protein or with NKX2-2. Olig2 cooperates with Olig1 to establish the motor neuron progenitor domain of the embryonic neural tube. Removal of Cdx transcription factors is shown to result in the continued induction of Olig2 and ectopic production of cranial motor neuron progenitors. A chromosomal aberration involving Olig2 is shown to cause a form of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). (Ref.: Metzis, V., et al. (2018). Cell 175(4); 1105-1118).