title: MicroRNAs as regulators and mediators of c-MYC function.
abstract: In the past ten years microRNAs (miRNAs) have been widely implicated as components of tumor suppressive and oncogenic pathways. Also the proto-typic oncogene c-MYC has been connected to miRNAs. The c-MYC gene is activated in approximately half of all tumors, and its product, the c-MYC transcription factor, regulates numerous processes e.g. cell cycle progression, metabolism, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), metastasis, stemness, and angiogenesis, thereby facilitating tumor initiation and progression. c-MYC target-genes, which mediate these functions of c-MYC, represent a complex network of protein- and non-coding RNAs, including numerous miRNAs. For example, c-MYC directly regulates expression of the miR-17-92 cluster, miR-34a, miR-15a/16-1 and miR-9. Moreover, the expression and activity of c-MYC itself are under the control of miRNAs. Here, we survey how these networks mediate and regulate c-MYC functions. In the future, miRNAs connected to c-MYC may be used for diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Myc proteins in cell biology and pathology.
authors.affiliation: Experimental and Molecular Pathology, Institute of Pathology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, D-80337 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Rene
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jackstadt
authors.affiliation: Experimental and Molecular Pathology, Institute of Pathology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, D-80337 Munich, Germany. Electronic address: heiko.hermeking@med.uni-muenchen.de.
authors.forename: Heiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hermeking
mesh_terms: D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000235:genetics; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C489427:MYC protein, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc
keywords: Cancer; MYC; Oncogene; miRNA