The making and breaking of a B lymphocyte

Abstract

The progressive differentiation and ultimate commitment of hematopoietic progenitors to the B lymphocyte lineage requires both the activation of the B lymphocyte transcriptional program and the repression of other lineage-inappropriate genes, such as those favoring macrophage development. This process is controlled by the coordinated activity of a small number of transcription factors. One class of factors including PU.1, Ikaros and E2A appears to be first required at the level of the differentiation of the Lymphoid-Primed Multipotent Progenitor (LMPP), although in all cases the molecular targets through which these genes act are largely unknown. Correct specification of the LMPP results in ..