New Myc-anisms for DNA replication and tumorigenesis?
The c-Myc proto-oncogene is an essential activator of cell proliferation and one of the genes most commonly deregulated in cancer. Although these activities of c-Myc are thought to result from its function as a transcription factor, the scientific literature contains hints that this is not the whole story. A new paper in Nature by Dominguez-Sola et al. reports the surprising observation that c-Myc promotes DNA replication via a nontranscriptional mechanism, and that c-Myc deregulation causes DNA damage predominately during S phase. These results identify c-Myc as a new DNA replication factor and suggest an alternative model for its role in cell growth and tumorigenesis.
Lebofsky
Ronald
R
Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02446, USA.
Walter
Johannes C
JC
D000818:Animals; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D004249:DNA Damage; D004261:DNA Replication; D006801:Humans; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000502:physiology*
C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc