Roles of POU3F2 in Brain Development and Neuropsychiatric Disorders

POU3F2, a member of the Pit-Oct-Unc (POU) domain transcription factor family, is widely expressed in the central nervous system and essential for the development and maturation of brain. POU3F2 deletion results in impaired hypothalamus and neocortex development, and most mice die between postnatal days 0 and 10. Recently, emerging evidences have demonstrated that POU3F2 is involved in neuropsychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and autism spectrum disorder, albeit still with some limitations in current studies. Besides, POU3F2 also plays a vital role in the reprogramming of somatic cells into neuronal lineages, which provides new ideas and directions for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. This review aims to systematically summarize and analyze the diverse roles of POU3F2 in brain development, neuropsychiatric disorders, and neuronal reprogramming. Furthermore, the potential of POU3F2-targeted therapies for neuropsychiatric disorders and proposed key questions for future research are also emphasized. POU3F2 plays a pivotal role in brain development, the pathogenesis of neurological and psychiatric disorders, and the reprogramming of neural cells. A more comprehensive and systematic understanding of its molecular mechanism might provide novel therapeutic approaches for neuropsychiatric disorders.