MYC and tumor metabolism: chicken and egg

Transcription factors of the MYC family are deregulated in the majority of all human cancers. Oncogenic levels of MYC reprogram cellular metabolism, a hallmark of cancer development, to sustain the high rate of proliferation of cancer cells. Conversely, cells need to modulate MYC function according to the availability of nutrients, in order to avoid a metabolic collapse. Here, we review recent evidence that the multiple interactions of MYC with cell metabolism are mutual and review mechanisms that control MYC levels and function in response to metabolic stress situations. The main hypothesis we put forward is that regulation of MYC levels is an integral part of the adaptation of cells to nutrient deprivation. Since such mechanisms would be particularly relevant in tumor cells, we propose that-in contrast to growth factor-dependent controls-they are not disrupted during tumorigenesis and that maintaining flexibility of expression is integral to MYC's oncogenic function.