Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 15, 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

Mnt takes control as key regulator of the myc/max/mxd network

Therese Wahlström1, Marie Henriksson

  • 1Department of Microbiology, Tumor, and Cell Biology (MTC), Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.

Advances in Cancer Research
|April 11, 2007
PubMed

Insights

The Myc/Max/Mxd network regulates cell growth and division. Mnt protein acts as a key regulator, potentially functioning as a tumor suppressor, influencing cell cycle progression and gene expression.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology
  • Gene Regulation

Background:

  • Myc is a frequently deregulated oncogene in human cancers.
  • The Myc/Max/Mxd network controls cell growth, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis.
  • The balance between Mnt/Max and c-Myc/Max binding to E-boxes is crucial for cell cycle control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of Mnt in regulating Myc/Mnt target genes.
  • To explore the hypothesis that Myc function depends on overcoming Mnt-mediated repression.
  • To assess Mnt's potential as a tumor suppressor.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of the Myc/Max/Mxd transcriptional network.
  • Investigating Mnt phosphorylation and its effect on the Mnt-mSin3-HDAC1 complex.
  • Examining the expression of target genes like cyclin D2.

Main Results:

  • Serum stimulation causes Mnt phosphorylation, disrupting the Mnt-mSin3-HDAC1 interaction.
  • This disruption leads to increased expression of the Myc/Mnt target gene cyclin D2.
  • Mnt exhibits characteristics of a tumor suppressor, potentially inactivated in tumors.

Conclusions:

  • Relief of Mnt-mediated transcriptional repression may be more critical than Myc activation for target gene regulation.
  • Mnt is proposed as the key regulator within the Myc/Max/Mxd network in vivo.
  • Mnt's potential tumor suppressor function warrants further investigation in human cancers.

More Related Videos

Light-mediated Reversible Modulation of the Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Pathway during Cell Differentiation and Xenopus Embryonic Development09:32

Light-mediated Reversible Modulation of the Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Pathway during Cell Differentiation and Xenopus Embryonic Development

Published on: June 15, 2017

Identification of MyoD Interactome Using Tandem Affinity Purification Coupled to Mass Spectrometry14:47

Identification of MyoD Interactome Using Tandem Affinity Purification Coupled to Mass Spectrometry

Published on: May 17, 2016

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...
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...
M-Cdk Drives Transition Into Mitosis02:15

M-Cdk Drives Transition Into Mitosis

Checkpoints throughout the cell cycle serve as safeguards and gatekeepers, allowing the cell cycle to progress in favorable conditions and slow or halt it in problematic ones. This regulation is known as the cell cycle control system.
Cyclin-dependent kinases, or Cdks, work in concert with cyclins to control cell cycle transitions. M-Cdk, a complex of Cdk1 bound to M cyclin, is a well-known example of this coordinated control that drives the transition from the G2 to the M phase.
M cyclin...
M-Cdk Drives Transition Into Mitosis02:15

M-Cdk Drives Transition Into Mitosis

Checkpoints throughout the cell cycle serve as safeguards and gatekeepers, allowing the cell cycle to progress in favorable conditions and slow or halt it in problematic ones. This regulation is known as the cell cycle control system.
Cyclin-dependent kinases, or Cdks, work in concert with cyclins to control cell cycle transitions. M-Cdk, a complex of Cdk1 bound to M cyclin, is a well-known example of this coordinated control that drives the transition from the G2 to the M phase.
M cyclin...
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...