Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 18, 2026
10:26
In Vitro Differentiation Model of Human Normal Memory B Cells to Long-lived Plasma Cells
Published on: January 20, 2019
Pax5 maintains cellular identity by repressing gene expression throughout B cell differentiation
Sebastian Carotta1, Melissa L Holmes, Clare Pridans
1The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Cell Cycle (Georgetown, Tex.)
|November 15, 2006
Summary
The transcription factor Pax5 is crucial for B cell development by controlling gene expression. Its repression of specific genes is essential for maintaining B cell identity throughout lymphopoiesis.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- The transcription factor Pax5 plays a vital role in B-lymphopoiesis.
- Pax5 regulates B cell lineage commitment by activating specific genes and repressing non-B cell fate genes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss the molecular targets of Pax5-mediated gene repression.
- To highlight recent insights into Pax5's mechanism in controlling B cell identity.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent studies on Pax5 function.
- Analysis of gene expression regulation during B cell development.
Main Results:
- Pax5 repression of the stem cell transcriptional program is essential for B cell development.
- Pax5 silencing of lineage inappropriate genes is critical for B cell identity.
- Loss of Pax5 in mature B cells leads to reactivation of repressed genes during plasma cell differentiation.
Conclusions:
- Pax5-mediated gene repression is a continuous process throughout lymphopoiesis.
- Understanding Pax5 targets is key to comprehending B cell identity maintenance and differentiation.
Related Concept Videos
00:57Cellular Differentiation
How does a complex organism such as a human develop from a single cell? It all starts from a single fertilized egg which gives rise to a vast array of cell types, such as nerve cells, muscle cells, and epithelial cells that characterize the adult? Throughout development and adulthood, cellular differentiation leads cells to assume their final morphology and physiology. Differentiation is the process by which unspecialized cells become specialized to carry out distinct functions.
A zygote is a...
A zygote is a...
01:29Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming
Reprogramming alters the gene expression in somatic cells, transforming them into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells over several generations. Scientists can reprogram cells by introducing genes for four transcription factors—Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc (OSKM) by viral or non-viral methods. These factors are also known as Yamanaka factors after Shinya Yamanaka, who first generated iPS cells using mouse skin cells. Yamanaka was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012 for this...
02:23Abnormal Proliferation
Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the daughter...
01:14Maintenance of the ES Cell State
The cells of the blastocyst inner cell mass only remain pluripotent for a short time. This state of pluripotency and self-renewal can be maintained in embryonic stem (ES) cell culture by adding specific chemicals or growth factors to ensure the cells can continue dividing and later differentiate into different cell types. In some cases, the cells are grown on a feeder layer of differentiated cells, which provides the growth factors and extracellular matrix components necessary for stem cell...
02:23Master Transcription Regulators
Master transcription regulators are regulatory proteins that are predominantly responsible for regulating the expression of multiple genes. Often these genes work in concert to drive a complex process. Activation of a master transcription regulator can lead to a cascade of transcriptional activation necessary for that outcome. These regulators can directly bind to the regulatory sequences of the various genes involved, or they can indirectly regulate transcription by binding to regulatory...
01:58Cell Specific Gene Expression
Multicellular organisms contain a variety of structurally and functionally distinct cell types, but the DNA in all the cells originated from the same parent cells. The differences in the cells can be attributed to the differential gene expression. Liver cells, whose functions include detoxification of blood, production of bile to metabolize fats, and synthesis of proteins essential for metabolism, must express a specific set of genes to perform their functions. Gene expression also varies with...