Myc in stem cell behaviour: insights from Drosophila

The Myc family proteins are key regulators of animal growth and development, which have critical roles in modulating stem cell behaviour. Since the identification of the oncogenic potential of c-Myc in the early 1980s the mammalian Myc family, which is comprised of c-Myc, N-Myc, and L-Myc, has been studied extensively. dMyc, the only Drosophila member of the Myc gene family, is orthologous to the mammalian c-Myc oncoprotein. Here we discuss key studies addressing the function of the Myc family in stem cell behaviour in both Drosophila Models and mammalian systems.