Photoaffinity labeling of human c-myc protein with deoxythymidine triphosphate

The recombinant human c-myc protein expressed in Escherichia coli can be efficiently labeled by ultraviolet-mediated cross-linking to dTTP and to a lesser extent to other nucleoside diphosphates and triphosphates, but not to nucleoside monophosphates. Specificity of nucleoside phosphate binding is suggested by (a) concentration-dependent competition by some nucleoside phosphates but not by others and (b) by the observation that the denatured myc protein does not bind the nucleotides. Competition experiments also indicate that the affinity of c-myc protein for nucleoside diphosphates and triphosphates is approximately the same irrespective of the nature of the base, or of the pentose sugar, but the thymine base permits the most efficient photoactivated cross-linking. The ultraviolet-mediated photoactivated cross-linking of deoxythymidine triphosphate has been used to identify the c-myc protein in extracts of cells which overexpress c-myc, and to identify the intermediates in myc oncoprotein degradation.