The IgH 3' regulatory region and its implication in lymphomagenesis.

The 3' regulatory region (3'RR) located downstream of the IgH gene is the master element that controls class switch recombination and sustains high-level transcription at the plasma-cell stage. This latter role suggests that the 3'RR may be involved in oncogene deregulation during the frequent IgH translocation events associated with B-cell malignancies. A convincing demonstration of the essential contribution of 3'RR in lymphomagenesis has been provided by transgenic animal models. The mouse 3'RR shares a strong structural homology with the regulatory regions located downstream of each human Cα gene. Mouse models exploring the role of the 3'RR in B-cell physiology and in malignancies should provide useful indications about the pathophysiology of human cell lymphocyte proliferation.