PODs in the nuclear spot: enigmas in the magician's pot.

The promyelocytic leukemia (PML) nuclear body, also known as the PML oncogenic domain (POD), is implicated in the pathophysiology of PML. These nuclear subcompartments are dynamic structures. The PML protein, which undergoes a fusion event in patients with promyelocytic leukemia, is normally found in PODs. The PML protein may be a major regulator of the constituents of PODs, controlling POD organization and function. Hatta and Fukamizu describe the functions of PML and discuss how the POD structure and organization may be regulated and affect apoptosis, gene expression, and cellular transformation.