The role of BSAP (Pax-5) in B-cell development.

The hierarchy of transcriptional control in B-cell development has recently been analyzed by targeted gene inactivation in the mouse. In this manner, the paired box containing gene Pax-5, encoding the B cell specific transcription factor BSAP, has been shown to play a key role in early B lymphopoiesis. Other experimental strategies have implicated BSAP in the control of cell proliferation, isotype switching and transcription of the immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene at late stages of B-cell differentiation.