Myc

MYC proto-oncogene, bHLH transcription factor
Identifiers
SymbolMYC
Alt. symbolsc-Myc, v-myc
NCBI gene4609
HGNC7553
OMIM190080
RefSeqNM_001354870.1
UniProtP01106
Other data
LocusChr. 8 q24.21
WikidataQ20969939
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StructuresSwiss-model
DomainsInterPro
MYCL proto-oncogene, bHLH transcription factor
Identifiers
SymbolMYCL
Alt. symbolsLMYC, MYCL1, bHLHe38, L-Myc, v-myc
NCBI gene4610
HGNC7555
OMIM164850
RefSeqNM_005376
UniProtP12524
Other data
LocusChr. 1 p34.2
WikidataQ18029714
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StructuresSwiss-model
DomainsInterPro
MYCN proto-oncogene, bHLH transcription factor
Identifiers
SymbolMYCN
NCBI gene4613
HGNC7559
OMIM164840
RefSeqNM_005378
UniProtV
Other data
LocusChr. 2 p24.3
WikidataQ14906753
Search for
StructuresSwiss-model
DomainsInterPro

Myc is a family of regulator genes and proto-oncogenes that code for transcription factors. The Myc family consists of three related human genes: c-myc (MYC), l-myc (MYCL), and n-myc (MYCN). c-myc (also sometimes referred to as MYC) was the first gene to be discovered in this family, due to homology with the viral gene v-myc.

In cancer, c-myc is often constitutively (persistently) expressed. This leads to the increased expression of many genes, some of which are involved in cell proliferation, contributing to the formation of cancer.[1] A common human translocation involving c-myc is critical to the development of most cases of Burkitt lymphoma.[2] Constitutive upregulation of Myc genes have also been observed in carcinoma of the cervix, colon, breast, lung and stomach.[1]

Myc is thus viewed as a promising target for anti-cancer drugs.[3] Unfortunately, Myc possesses several features that have rendered it difficult to drug to date, such that any anti-cancer drugs aimed at inhibiting Myc may continue to require perturbing the protein indirectly, such as by targeting the mRNA for the protein rather than via a small molecule that targets the protein itself.[4][5]

c-Myc also plays an important role in stem cell biology and was one of the original Yamanaka factors used to reprogram somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells.[6]

In the human genome, C-myc is located on chromosome 8 and is believed to regulate expression of 15% of all genes[7] through binding on enhancer box sequences (E-boxes).

In addition to its role as a classical transcription factor, N-myc may recruit histone acetyltransferases (HATs). This allows it to regulate global chromatin structure via histone acetylation.[8]

  1. ^ a b "Myc". NCBI.
  2. ^ Finver SN, Nishikura K, Finger LR, Haluska FG, Finan J, Nowell PC, Croce CM (May 1988). "Sequence analysis of the Myc oncogene involved in the t(8;14)(q24;q11) chromosome translocation in a human leukemia T-cell line indicates that putative regulatory regions are not altered". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 85 (9): 3052–6. Bibcode:1988PNAS...85.3052F. doi:10.1073/pnas.85.9.3052. PMC 280141. PMID 2834731.
  3. ^ Begley S (2013-01-09). "DNA pioneer James Watson takes aim at cancer establishments". Reuters.
  4. ^ Carabet LA, Rennie PS, Cherkasov A (December 2018). "Therapeutic Inhibition of Myc in Cancer. Structural Bases and Computer-Aided Drug Discovery Approaches". International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 20 (1): 120. doi:10.3390/ijms20010120. PMC 6337544. PMID 30597997.
  5. ^ Dang CV, Reddy EP, Shokat KM, Soucek L (August 2017). "Drugging the 'undruggable' cancer targets". Nature Reviews. Cancer. 17 (8): 502–508. doi:10.1038/nrc.2017.36. PMC 5945194. PMID 28643779.
  6. ^ Nie Z, Hu G, Wei G, Cui K, Yamane A, Resch W, Wang R, Green DR, Tessarollo L, Casellas R, Zhao K, Levens D (September 2012). "c-Myc is a universal amplifier of expressed genes in lymphocytes and embryonic stem cells". Cell. 151 (1): 68–79. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2012.08.033. PMC 3471363. PMID 23021216.
  7. ^ Gearhart J, Pashos EE, Prasad MK (October 2007). "Pluripotency redux--advances in stem-cell research". The New England Journal of Medicine. 357 (15): 1469–72. doi:10.1056/NEJMp078126. PMID 17928593.
  8. ^ Cotterman R, Jin VX, Krig SR, Lemen JM, Wey A, Farnham PJ, Knoepfler PS (December 2008). "N-Myc regulates a widespread euchromatic program in the human genome partially independent of its role as a classical transcription factor". Cancer Research. 68 (23): 9654–62. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-08-1961. PMC 2637654. PMID 19047142.