The puzzling multiple lives of PML and its role in the genesis of cancer

PML, the gene associated with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL); PML, the target of numerous viral agents; PML, the growth suppressor; PML, the media tor of multiple apoptotic pathways; PML, the tumor suppressor; PML, the pro tein which epitomizes a novel nuclear structure, the nuclear body; PML, the transcription co-factor. Despite the recent flurry of reports attributing multiple biological roles to the PML protein, PML still lacks a definitive biochemical function. This is probably the reason why PML is so attractive to many investigators. Here, we will summarize the facts and speculations o n this puzzling protein. BioEssays 22:827-835, 2000. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.