The Bmi1 oncogene induces telomerase activity and immortalizes human mammary epithelial cells. Bmi1 extends the replicative life span of human fibroblasts by suppressing the p16-dependent senescence pathway.
Polycomb group (PcG) genes are involved in the maintenance of cellular memory through epigenetic chromatin modifications. Recent studies have implicated a role for PcG genes in the self-renewal of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), a process in which cellular memory is maintained through ce