B cell commitment.

Multipotential stem cells have the capacity to differentiate into a variety of cell types including B lymphocytes. The development of B cells from multipotential progenitors has been the subject of numerous studies and many aspects of this transition are well characterized. However, the initial genetic events which commit a stem cell to follow the B lineage developmental pathway have not yet been discovered. In this review we examine diverse experiments which may lead to increased understanding of the important first steps in the commitment process.