Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Focus Formation: A Cell-based Assay to Determine the Oncogenic Potential of a Gene
08:18

Focus Formation: A Cell-based Assay to Determine the Oncogenic Potential of a Gene

Published on: December 31, 2014

Function of the c-Myc oncogenic transcription factor

C V Dang1, L M Resar, E Emison

  • 1Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA. cvdang@welch.jhu.edu

Experimental Cell Research
|December 2, 1999
PubMed

Insights

The c-Myc protein, often altered in cancers, regulates cell functions by interacting with other proteins. Understanding its target genes is crucial for cancer research and developing new therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Gene Regulation

Background:

  • The c-myc gene and c-Myc protein are frequently altered in human cancers.
  • c-Myc is a transcription factor that heterodimerizes with Max to regulate gene expression.
  • Max also interacts with the Mad family to repress transcription and promote differentiation, antagonizing c-Myc.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and contextualize the putative target genes of c-Myc.
  • To understand c-Myc's role in mediating specific cellular phenotypes.
  • To elucidate c-Myc's function as an oncogenic transcription factor.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on c-Myc target genes.
  • Analysis of c-Myc-mediated phenotypes.
  • Integration of findings with known cellular pathways.

Main Results:

  • c-Myc integrates cell cycle machinery with cell adhesion, metabolism, and apoptosis.
  • Identification of key target genes contributing to c-Myc's oncogenic activity.
  • Elucidation of the antagonistic relationship between c-Myc and Mad proteins.

Conclusions:

  • c-Myc is a critical oncogenic transcription factor in human cancers.
  • Understanding c-Myc target genes is essential for comprehending its role in tumorigenesis.
  • c-Myc influences fundamental cellular processes, making it a significant target for cancer therapy.

More Related Videos

Mapping the Structure-Function Relationships of Disordered Oncogenic Transcription Factors Using Transcriptomic Analysis09:58

Mapping the Structure-Function Relationships of Disordered Oncogenic Transcription Factors Using Transcriptomic Analysis

Published on: June 27, 2020

Intracellular Phosphoflow Cytometry of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patient-Derived Xenotransplants07:38

Intracellular Phosphoflow Cytometry of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patient-Derived Xenotransplants

Published on: June 6, 2025

Related Concept Videos

Master Transcription Regulators02:23

Master Transcription Regulators

Master transcription regulators are regulatory proteins that are predominantly responsible for regulating the expression of multiple genes. Often these genes work in concert to drive a  complex process. Activation of a master transcription regulator can lead to a cascade of transcriptional activation necessary for that outcome. These regulators can directly bind to the regulatory sequences of the various genes involved, or they can indirectly regulate transcription by binding to regulatory...
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
Abnormal Proliferation02:23

Abnormal Proliferation

Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the daughter...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells01:06

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce different cell types. Ordinarily, cells that have differentiated into a specific cell type are terminally differentiated; however, scientists have found a way to reprogram these mature cells so that they dedifferentiate and return to an unspecialized, proliferative state. These cells are pluripotent like embryonic stem cells—able to produce all cell types—and are called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
Somatic cells are...