title: Comparative analysis of the structure and function of the chicken c-myc and v-myc genes: v-myc is a more potent inducer of cell proliferation and apoptosis than c-myc.
abstract: To gain a more complete understanding of c-myc regulation in chickens, we have completed the structural characterization of the chicken c-myc gene and have begun to investigate c-myc transcription and protein expression. A comparison of c-myc structure and expression between mammals and birds presents an enigma: there are striking similarities in the pattern of gene expression in the absence of obvious sequence similarities in the controlling elements. We have begun to investigate c-myc and v-myc function using retroviral vectors that differ solely in the Myc proteins that they express. We show that while the overexpression of the smaller c-Myc protein is sufficient to induce morphological transformation in chicken embryo fibroblasts, overexpression of v-Myc provides a stronger signal for cells to enter the cell cycle and is a more potent inducer of apoptosis than c-Myc.
authors.affiliation: ABL-Basic Research Program, NCI-Frederick Cancer Research and Developmental Center, Frederick, Maryland 21702-1201, USA.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Petropoulos
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Givol
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hughes
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000235:genetics; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000502:physiology / Q000821:virology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D016259:Genes, myc; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016274:Oncogene Protein p55(v-myc) / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D016274:Oncogene Protein p55(v-myc)