The c-myc oncogene perturbs B lymphocyte development in E-mu-myc transgenic mice.
Transgenic mice bearing a c-myc oncogene subjugated to the lymphoid-specific immunoglobulin heavy chain enhancer (E mu) develop clonal B lymphoid malignancies, but most young E mu-myc mice lack malignant clones. Their prelymphomatous state has allowed us to examine how constitutive c-myc expression influences B cell development. We find that early stages are overrepresented, even before birth. Pre-B cells of polyclonal origin increase greatly, while B cells develop in reduced number. Both the pre-B and the B cells appear to be in an active state, since they are larger than normal and a greater fraction are in the cell cycle. Enforced myc expression has thus favored proliferation over maturation. Hence, a normal function of c-myc may be to regulate differentiation as well as to promote cell cycling.
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005809:Genes, Regulator; D006410:Hematopoiesis; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000032:analysis; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D009857:Oncogenes; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000473:pathology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins