N-myc transgene promotes B lymphoid proliferation, elicits lymphomas and reveals cross-regulation with c-myc.
To assess the impact of constitutive N-myc expression on lymphocytes, we generated lines of transgenic mice bearing the murine N-myc oncogene coupled to the immunoglobulin heavy chain enhancer (E mu). As in mice carrying an analogous c-myc construct, E mu-N-myc mice exhibit a limited overgrowth of cycling pre-B cells and eventually succumb to clonal B lymphoid tumours. The endogenous N-myc and c-myc alleles are silent in both E mu-N-myc and E mu-myc lymphomas, suggesting that these genes are subject to auto- and cross-regulation. The regulatory interaction and the similar biological effects of N-myc and c-myc imply that the two genes perform interchangeable functions in the promotion of cell proliferation.
Rosenbaum
H
H
Waller and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne Hospital, Australia.
Webb
E
E
Adams
J M
JM
Cory
S
S
Harris
A W
AW
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002455:Cell Division; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000235:genetics; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes