Helix-loop-helix proteins in the regulation of immunoglobulin gene transcription

Abstract

Transcriptional control of the Ig heavy chain and kappa light chain is dominated by single enhancers located within the body of each gene. These enhancers bind distinct, yet overlapping, sets of cell-type-specific and ubiquitous nuclear proteins. This review focuses on one particular subclass of enhancer-binding protein, termed helix-loop-helix (HLH) proteins, describing their role in the establishment of cell-type-specific transcription and suggesting how they may be regulated during B-cell maturation.