Bcl-11a (CtIP-1, EVI9, B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/lymphoma 11A) and Bcl-11b (CtIP-2, RIT1, B cell CLL/lymphoma 11B) genes play crucial roles in lymphopoiesis and influence the progression of hematopoietic malignancies. Disruption of the Bcl-11b locus is linked to T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and the loss of heterozygosity in mice results in T cell lymphoma. Bcl-11 proteins are related C2H2 zinc-finger transcription factors that act as transcriptional repressors. Bcl-11b can interact with the metastasis-associated proteins MTA1 and MTA2 through the amino-terminal region. Bcl-11a is essential for postnatal development and normal lymphopoiesis. The Bcl-11a mouse gene is a common site of retroviral integration in myeloid leukemia, and may function as a leukemia disease gene, in part, through its interaction with Bcl-6.
