Plasticity of Pax-5(-/-) pre-B I cells

Abstract

In Pax-5 deficient mice, B cell development is blocked at the pre-B I cell stage. In contrast to their wild type counterparts, Pax-5(-/-) pre-B I cells posses an extraordinary developmental plasticity showing hematopoietic stem cell features such as pluripotency and self renewing capacity. Here we review the in vitro and in vivo evidence of this intriguing phenomenon. Copyright (C) 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel.