title: The expression of the developmentally regulated proto-oncogene Pax-3 is modulated by N-Myc.
abstract: N-Myc is a member of the Myc family of transcription factors that have been shown to play a pivotal role in cell proliferation and differentiation. In this report, we have investigated the relationship between N-Myc and the developmental control gene Pax-3. Using transient transfection assays, we show that the Pax-3 promoter is activated by both N-Myc-Max and c-Myc-Max. Moreover, we show that Myc regulation of Pax-3 promoter activity is dependent upon a noncanonical E box site in the 5' promoter region of Pax-3. In addition, we show that ectopic expression of both N-Myc and c-Myc leads to increased expression of Pax-3 mRNA. Furthermore, we show that Pax-3 mRNA expression is cell cycle-regulated and that the 5' promoter region of Pax-3 (bp -1578 to +56) can direct cell cycle-dependent gene expression with kinetics similar to that of the endogenous transcript. Site-directed mutagenesis of the E box site within the Pax-3 promoter significantly altered the pattern of expression through the cell cycle. These results suggest that the Myc family of transcription factors may modulate Pax-3 expression in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Bassett Crescent East, Southampton SO16 7PX, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Emma S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Karen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Lillycrop
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D000072041:PAX3 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014157:Transcription Factors
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D000072041:PAX3 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors; C068686:Pax3 protein, mouse; D004247:DNA