Transcriptional control of B lymphocyte differentiation

The relevance of the study of c-Myc lies in the broad spectrum of human cancers in which deregulation of this gene plays a prominent role. It is estimated that expression of this gene is altered gene in 40-50% of human cancers. This large spectrum probably reflects the large number and critical nature of the biological processes that appear to be regulated by c-Myc. The role of c-Myc in cell differentiation is poorly understood. C-Myc downregulation is usually associated with termination of differentiation in several cell types. Our data nonetheless revealed an absolute requirement for this gene not only in cell proliferation but also in terminal B cell differentiation per se. Here we will use a unique in vivo genetic approach to analyze the molecular mechanism of c-Myc in this process.