Regulation of gene expression at early stages of B-cell and T-cell differentation

The expression of distinct sets of genes at different stages of B-lymphocyte and T-lymphocyte differentation is controlled at the level of transcription. A number of recent studies have described interactions between transcription factors in lymphocytes that provide new insights into mechanisms regulating gene expression. These mechanisms include the assembly of higher order nucleoprotein complexes and other protein—protein interactions that enhance the functional specificity of transcriptional regulators in lymphocytes.