bmi-1 transgene induces lymphomas and collaborates with myc in tumorigenesis

Abstract

The bmi-1 gene was discovered as a frequent target of Moloney virus insertion in virally accelerated B-lymphoid tumors of Eμ-myc transgenic mice and hence is thought to collaborate with the myc gene in lymphomagenesis, but its oncogenic potential has not previously been tested directly. To determine whether bmi-1 overexpression can contribute to hematopoietic neoplasia in vivo, strains of transgenic mice were generated in which bmi-1 expression was directed to the lymphoid compartment by a coupled immunoglobulin heavy chain enhancer (Eμ). Although the Eμ-bmi-1 transgene was expressed in both B and T cells, lymphoid development was not perturbed. Nevertheless, 14% of the mice in the strain wi..