Critical roles of Bcl11b in T-cell development and maintenance of T-cell identity.
T-cell development primarily occurs in the thymus and involves in the interactions of many important transcription factors. Until recently, no single transcription factor has been identified to be essential for T-cell lineage commitment or maintenance of T-cell identity. Recent studies have now identified the zinc finger transcription factor Bcl11b to be essential for T-cell development and for maintenance of T-cell identity. Remarkably, T cells acquire NK cell properties upon Bcl11b deletion. These reprogrammed cells have unique properties in proliferation, cytokine dependency and killing target cells, and may therefore provide a new cell source for some cell-based therapies.
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK. pl2@sanger.ac.uk
Pentao
P
Liu
Peng
P
Li
Shannon
S
Burke
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D019070:Cell Lineage; D054338:Cell Transdifferentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D017384:Sequence Deletion / Q000235:genetics; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
C479740:BCL11B protein, human; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins