Myc--what we have learned from flies

The Myc family proteins are key regulators of animal growth and development. dMyc, the only Drosophila member of the Myc gene family, is orthologous to the mammalian c-Myc oncoprotein. Extensive studies have revealed much about both upstream regulators and downstream target genes in the sphere of Myc regulation. Here, we review some of the critical discoveries made using the Drosophila model, in particular those studies that have explored the essential role of the Myc family in growth and cell cycle progression and identified many of the upstream signals and downstream targets common to both c-Myc and dMyc.