Myc family of cellular oncogenes

✍ Scribed by Ronald DePinho; Lisa Mitsock; Kimi Hatton; Pierre Ferrier; Kathy Zimmerman; Edith Legouy; Abeba Tesfaye; Robert Collum; George Yancopoulos; Perry Nisen; Ronald Kriz; Frederick Alt

• Book ID: 102879788
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1987
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 700 KB
• Volume: 33
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0730-2312
• DOI: 10.1002/jcb.240330404

✦ Synopsis

The myc family of cellular oncogenes contains three well-defined members: cmyc, N-myc and L-myc. Additional structural and functional evidence now suggests that other myc-family oncogenes exist. The overall structure and organization of the c-, N-, and L-myc genes and transcripts are very similar. Each gene contains three exons: encoding a long 5' untranslated leader and a long 3' untranslated region. The proteins encoded by these myc genes share several stretches of significant homology. The conservation of sequences at the carboxyterminus of the L-myc protein suggests that it is also a DNA-binding, nuclearassociated protein. Each myc gene will cooperate with an activated Ha-ras oncogene to cause transformation of primary rat embryo fibroblasts. Characteristics of several new myc-family members are described.