Interleukin-7 induces N-myc and c-myc expression in normal precursor B lymphocytes.
Expression of both N-myc and c-myc is induced rapidly and dramatically in normal pre-B cells after stimulation with interleukin-7 (IL-7), a pre-B cell-specific growth factor. These IL-7-induced increases in N-myc and c-myc expression are mediated at the transcriptional level; for N-myc, a major portion of the induction results from release of an attenuation block between exons 1 and 2. Although c-myc expression has been shown to be regulated by many factors, these studies provide the first demonstration of N-myc regulation by a growth factor. Furthermore, mitogen-induced proliferation of more mature B-lineage cells is accompanied by induction of c-myc expression in the complete absence of N-myc expression. Thus, N-myc expression in normal B-lineage cells, as in transformed cells, is limited to cells that represent the precursor stages of this differentiation pathway. Together, these findings imply a specific function for N-myc in the early stages of B-cell development.
Morrow
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MA
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, New York.
Lee
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Gillis
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Yancopoulos
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GD
Alt
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D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D016259:Genes, myc / Q000235:genetics*; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000235:genetics
D015851:Interleukin-7