Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 20, 2026

Differentiation of Mouse Breast Epithelial HC11 and EpH4 Cells
Published on: February 27, 2020
BCL-6 is expressed in breast cancer and prevents mammary epithelial differentiation
Suresh Logarajah1, Patricia Hunter, Matthew Kraman
1Wellcome Trust Immunology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 2SP, UK.
Abstract:
Appropriately timed proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis are essential to the normal functions of the mammary epithelium. Here, we report that the transcription factor BCL-6 is expressed in mammary epithelium in nonpregnant animals as well as during early pregnancy. When overexpressed in the nontransformed EpH4 mammary epithelial cell line, BCL-6 prevents the STAT-driven expression of the milk protein beta-casein and duct formation, and prevents apoptosis. Consistent with an antiapoptotic function, we demonstrate that BCL-6 is expressed in 68% of histologically high-grade ductal breast carcinomas, which are clinically the most aggressive. BCL-6 has previously been characterized as a regulator of B lymphocyte growth and development, but our work identifies a novel role for it in mammary epithelial differentiation, which may also implicate it in carcinogenesis.
Related Concept Videos
Abnormal Proliferation
Cadherins in Tissue Organization
Cell Sorting During Development
Cell sorting plays an...
Inhibition of Cdk Activity
Role Of Notch Signalling In Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal
Direct cell-to-cell contact is needed for the activation of Notch signaling. The signal is initiated when a notch ligand binds to a receptor on an adjacent cell, also...
The Retinoblastoma Gene
The first-ever tumor suppressor gene called Rb was identified in retinoblastoma - a rare eye tumor in children. In inherited forms of the disease, a child inherits one defective copy of the Rb gene, which predisposes them to retinoblastoma. However,...

