Diverse Functions of Sox2 in the Peripheral Nervous System

Abstract

The Sox2 protein is a transcription factor and a member of the SoxB1 family. The distribution and functions of Sox2 have been well studied in neural stem cells of the central nervous system (CNS). In the neural stem cells of the CNS, the Sox2 protein helps to maintain the stem cell state. Some recent reports have shown that the Sox2 gene is also expressed in the cells of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) throughout life. During PNS development, the Sox2 protein regulates the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, neurogenesis and myelination. In the adult PNS, our recent reports using immunohistochemistry showed that Sox2 is found in some types of rat glial cells and promotes satellite glial cell survival. This review outlines the distribution and functions of Sox2 in the PNS.