Bcl3: Proteins and Enzymes

The transcriptional coactivator, B-cell lymphoma 3-encoded protein (Bcl3) is a member of the inhibitor of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) family. Also a known regulator of NF-kappaB, Bcl-3 plays a critical role in the development of normal immune responses. Specifically, Bcl 3 regulates transcriptional activation of NF-kappa-B target genes, by inhibiting the nuclear translocation of the NF-kappa-B p50 subunit in the cytoplasm and acting as transcriptional activator that promotes transcription of NF-kappa-B target genes in the nucleus.

Bcl-3 also contributes to the regulation of cell proliferation, and influences the survival of T cells when they are activated as a result of an immune response. It also contributes to chronic inflammatory disease states such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, and defects in Bcl3 may lead to B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Therefore, Bcl3 antibodies can be useful tools for studying autoimmune disease and cancer development.