B-Cell CLL/Lymphoma 11B (Bcl11B)

Bcl11B encodes a C2H2-type zinc finger protein and is closely related to BCL11A, a gene whose translocation may be associated with B-cell malignancies. The specific function of this gene has not yet been determined. Two alternatively spliced transcript variants, which encode distinct isoforms, have been reported. Recent research suggests that BCL11B is crucial for ameloblasts to form and work properly.The deduced 823-amino acid BCL11B protein is 61% identical to BCL11A overall but 95% identical in the zinc finger domains. It is also 86% identical to mouse Ctip2. Like BCL11A, BCL11B has a large 5-prime CpG island. Northern blot analysis detected expression in malignant T-cell lines derived from patients with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma but not in any malignant B-cell lines examined.