BMI-1 [BMI1/2690]

BMI-1 (B lymphoma Mo-MLV insertion region 1 homolog), a key component of the PRC1 complex, was identified initially as an oncogene that cooperates with c-myc in the generation of B-cell lymphoma. It functions as a transcriptional repressor involved in gene silencing and the malignant transformation and biologic aggressiveness of several human carcinomas. Overexpression of BMI-1 is correlated with tumor progression in a variety of malignancies, including B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, esophageal squamous carcinoma, and cancers of the bladder, cervix, ovary and breast. In contrast, loss of BMI expression has been reported to be associated with decreased patient survival in melanoma.