PRDM1/BLIMP1: a tumor suppressor gene in B and T cell lymphomas.

The gene encoding the human BLIMP1, prdm1, is located on chromosome 6q21, a locus frequently deleted in lymphoid tumors. BLIMP1 is able to silence its target genes in a context-dependent manner through different mechanisms. BLIMP1 is expressed in both B and T cells, in which it plays important functions. In B cells, BLIMP1 acts as the master regulator of plasma cell differentiation, repressed by BCL6 and repressing both BCL6 and PAX5. In T cells, BLIMP1 is a critical factor for most terminal effector cell differentiation in both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. BLIMP1 is frequently inactivated in a variety of lymphomas, including diffuse large B cell lymphomas, Natural Killer cell lymphoma and anaplastic large T cell lymphoma. In this review, we will summarize the role of BLIMP1 in normal cells, focusing on lymphoid cells, and on its function as tumor suppressor gene in lymphomas.