Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 8, 2026

The Drosophila Imaginal Disc Tumor Model: Visualization and Quantification of Gene Expression and Tumor Invasiveness Using Genetic Mosaics
10:31

The Drosophila Imaginal Disc Tumor Model: Visualization and Quantification of Gene Expression and Tumor Invasiveness Using Genetic Mosaics

Published on: October 6, 2016

Drosophila Myc interacts with host cell factor (dHCF) to activate transcription and control growth

Michael Furrer1, Mirjam Balbi, Monica Albarca-Aguilera

  • 1Zoologisches Institut, Universität Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland.

The Journal of Biological Chemistry
|October 13, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Drosophila host cell factor (dHCF) acts as a novel co-factor for Myc. dHCF is essential for Myc

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Gene Regulation
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Myc proto-oncoproteins are transcription factors regulating gene expression via E-boxes.
  • The precise mechanism of Myc-mediated transcriptional activation remains under investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify novel co-factors involved in Myc-mediated transcriptional activation.
  • To elucidate the functional role of Drosophila host cell factor (dHCF) in Myc activity.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted an RNAi screen in Drosophila S2 cells to identify Myc co-factors.
  • Assessed the impact of dHCF depletion on Myc-dependent reporter gene expression.
  • Investigated Myc-dHCF physical interaction and colocalization on target genes.
  • Examined the effect of chromatin-modifying complexes on Myc and dHCF activities.

Main Results:

  • Identified Drosophila host cell factor (dHCF) as a novel Myc co-factor.
  • dHCF is functionally required for Myc-dependent reporter activation and endogenous gene expression in S2 cells.
  • dHCF is essential for Myc-mediated growth promotion in vivo.
  • Myc and dHCF physically interact and colocalize on target genes.
  • Disruption of dHCF-associated histone acetyltransferase and methyltransferase complexes impairs Myc activity.

Conclusions:

  • Propose that dHCF recruits chromatin-modifying complexes to Myc target genes.
  • dHCF plays a crucial role in Myc-mediated transcriptional activation and biological functions.
  • This finding provides new insights into the regulatory mechanisms of Myc.

More Related Videos

A Drosophila Model to Study Wound-induced Polyploidization07:27

A Drosophila Model to Study Wound-induced Polyploidization

Published on: June 9, 2020

Enhanced Northern Blot Detection of Small RNA Species in Drosophila Melanogaster09:39

Enhanced Northern Blot Detection of Small RNA Species in Drosophila Melanogaster

Published on: August 21, 2014

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...
The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes02:45

The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes

In most organisms, sex is determined by the ratio of X and Y chromosomes. However, in some organisms, such as Drosophila and C.elegans, sex is determined by the ratio of the number of X chromosomes to the number of sets of autosomes. The Y chromosome in Drosophila is active but does not determine sex. It contains genes responsible for the production of sperms in adult flies.  
Normal male Drosophila has a ratio of one X chromosome to two sets of autosomes. In contrast, normal female Drosophila...
Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway02:54

Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway

The gene encoding the main signaling molecules of the Wnt signaling pathways (the Wnt proteins) was discovered almost four decades ago by Nüsslein-Volhard and Wieschaus. They identified and originally named the gene "wingless" (wg) after a phenotype discovered during their landmark genetic screen in Drosophila for body pattern defects. At around the same time, another researcher named Harold Varmus found that a murine tumor virus activates the mammalian wg homolog, Int-1, which results in tumor...
Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming01:29

Somatic to iPS Cell Reprogramming

Reprogramming alters the gene expression in somatic cells, transforming them into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells over several generations. Scientists can reprogram cells by introducing genes for four transcription factors—Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc (OSKM) by viral or non-viral methods. These factors are also known as Yamanaka factors after Shinya Yamanaka, who first generated iPS cells using mouse skin cells. Yamanaka was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012 for this...
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...
Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation02:36

Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation

Cell size is a significant factor impacting cellular design, function, and fitness. There exists some internal coordination by which cells double their masses before division, thus, achieving homeostasis. Coordination between cell growth and proliferation depends on the checkpoints in between cell cycle phases. Loss of coordination or failure in the checkpoint mechanism can drive the cell to uncontrolled growth and loss of cellular function. Like dividing cells that coordinate cellular growth,...