Differentiation and cell death: lessons from the immune system.
The immune system provides a unique vantage point from which to view the interrelationship between differentiation and cell death, as apoptosis is a prominent feature of B- and T-lymphocyte development. Two common themes emerge from recent experimental observations. First, survival signals are crucial during the differentiation process. The upregulation of Bcl-2 during positive selection suggests that this molecule serves as a survival signal to maintain lymphoid homeostasis. Second, if cell death is repressed, cellular differentiation can occur in the absence of inductive signals.
Linette
G P
GP
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110.
Korsmeyer
S J
SJ
D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006410:Hematopoiesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*
D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2