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Developmental stage

Detected in the cerebral cortex from 12.5 dpc until birth, with highest levels in the frontal and parietal parts of the neocortex than the occipital parts.

Domain

Interaction with corepressors through the BTB domain is needed to facilitate the rapid proliferation and survival of GC B-cells but is not involved in the T(FH) formation and BCL6-mediated suppression of T(H)2 and T(H)17 differentiation required for GC formation.

Function

Transcriptional repressor mainly required for germinal center (GC) formation and antibody affinity maturation which has different mechanisms of action specific to the lineage and biological functions. Forms complexes with different corepressors and histone deacetylases to repress the transcriptional expression of different subsets of target genes. Represses its target genes by binding directly to the DNA sequence 5'-TTCCTAGAA-3' (BCL6-binding site) or indirectly by repressing the transcriptional activity of transcription factors. In GC B-cells, represses genes that function in differentiation, inflammation, apoptosis and cell cycle control, also autoregulates its transcriptional expression and up-regulates, indirectly, the expression of some genes important for GC reactions, such as AICDA, through the repression of microRNAs expression, like miR155. An important function is to allow GC B-cells to proliferate very rapidly in response to T-cell dependent antigens and tolerate the physiological DNA breaks required for immunglobulin class switch recombination and somatic hypermutation without inducing a p53/TP53-dependent apoptotic response. In follicular helper CD4(+) T-cells (T(FH) cells), promotes the expression of T(FH)-related genes but inhibits the differentiation of T(H)1, T(H)2 and T(H)17 cells. Also required for the establishment and maintenance of immunological memory for both T- and B-cells. Suppresses macrophage proliferation through competition with STAT5 for STAT-binding motifs binding on certain target genes, such as CCL2 and CCND2. In response to genotoxic stress, controls cell cycle arrest in GC B-cells in both p53/TP53-dependedent and -independent manners. Besides, also controls neurogenesis through the alteration of the composition of NOTCH-dependent transcriptional complexes at selective NOTCH targets, such as HES5, including the recruitment of the deacetylase SIRT1 and resulting in an epigenetic silencing leading to neuronal differentiation.

Post-translational modifications

Phosphorylated by MAPK1 in response to antigen receptor activation at Ser-334 and Ser-344. Phosphorylated by ATM in response to genotoxic stress. Phosphorylation induces its degradation by ubiquitin/proteasome pathway.

Polyubiquitinated. Polyubiquitinated by SCF(FBXO11), leading to its degradation by the proteasome. Ubiquitinated by the SCF(FBXL17) complex, leading to its degradation by the proteasome: ubiquitination by the SCF(FBXL17) complex takes place when aberrant BTB domain dimers are formed.

Acetylated at Lys-380 by EP300 which inhibits the interaction with NuRD complex and the transcriptional repressor function. Deacetylated by HDAC- and SIR2-dependent pathways.

Tissue specificity

Expressed at least in germinal center B-cells of spleen.

Cellular localization

  • Nucleus

Alternative names

Bcl-6, Bcl6, B-cell lymphoma 6 protein homolog

Target type

Proteins

Primary research area

Oncology

Other research areas

  • Immuno-oncology

Molecular weight

78982Da

We found 2 products in 1 category

Primary Antibodies

Target

Application

Reactive species

Search our catalogue for 'BCL6' (2)

Products

ab243150

Anti-Bcl6 antibody [7D1]

Recombinant