Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 11, 2025

Identification of Transcription Factor Regulators using Medium-Throughput Screening of Arrayed Libraries and a Dual-Luciferase-Based Reporter
11:32

Identification of Transcription Factor Regulators using Medium-Throughput Screening of Arrayed Libraries and a Dual-Luciferase-Based Reporter

Published on: March 27, 2020

7.1K

KSHV transactivator-derived small peptide traps coactivators to attenuate MYC and inhibits leukemia and lymphoma cell

Michiko Shimoda1,2, Yuanzhi Lyu3, Kang-Hsin Wang3

  • 1Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University of California Davis (UC Davis), Sacramento, CA, USA. mshimoda@ucdavis.edu.

Communications Biology
|December 3, 2021
PubMed

Insights

A novel peptide from a herpesvirus protein selectively kills cancer cells by blocking MYC gene activation. This discovery offers a potential new therapy for MYC-dependent cancers and autoimmune diseases.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Virology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Herpesvirus replication often suppresses host cell gene transcription by viral factors hijacking cellular machinery.
  • The MYC gene is a critical regulator of cell proliferation and is frequently dysregulated in various cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate a novel peptide derived from Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus transactivator (K-Rta) as a potential therapeutic agent.
  • To determine the mechanism by which this peptide affects MYC expression and cancer cell viability.

Main Methods:

  • A synthetic peptide based on K-Rta was designed and tested in cancer cell lines and a xenograft mouse model.
  • Mechanistic studies involved assessing coactivator complex recruitment to the MYC promoter using techniques like SLAM seq and transcriptional analyses.

Main Results:

  • The K-Rta-derived peptide effectively reduced MYC expression and cell proliferation in cancer cell lines.
  • The peptide selectively induced cancer cell death in vitro and in vivo.
  • Mechanistically, the peptide acted as a decoy, preventing the assembly of essential coactivator complexes (NCOA2, p300, SWI/SNF) at the MYC promoter.

Conclusions:

  • A K-Rta-derived peptide serves as a potent inhibitor of MYC transcription and a selective cancer cell killer.
  • This peptide represents a promising therapeutic strategy for diseases driven by MYC activation, including cancers and autoimmune disorders.

More Related Videos

Pooled shRNA Library Screening to Identify Factors that Modulate a Drug Resistance Phenotype14:51

Pooled shRNA Library Screening to Identify Factors that Modulate a Drug Resistance Phenotype

Published on: June 17, 2022

3.3K
Generation of Stable Human Cell Lines with Tetracycline-inducible Tet-on shRNA or cDNA Expression09:51

Generation of Stable Human Cell Lines with Tetracycline-inducible Tet-on shRNA or cDNA Expression

Published on: March 5, 2013

35.6K

Related Concept Videos

Abnormal Proliferation02:23

Abnormal Proliferation

Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the...
4.7K
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells01:06

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce different cell types. Ordinarily, cells that have differentiated into a specific cell type are terminally differentiated; however, scientists have found a way to reprogram these mature cells so that they dedifferentiate and return to an unspecialized, proliferative state. These cells are pluripotent like embryonic stem cells—able to produce all cell types—and are called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
Somatic...
4.5K
Co-activators and Co-repressors02:04

Co-activators and Co-repressors

Gene transcription is regulated by the synergistic action of several proteins that form a complex at a gene regulatory site. This is observed in eukaryotes, where the regulation of gene expression is a complex process. Regulatory proteins in eukaryotes can broadly be classified into two types – regulators that bind directly to specific DNA sequences and co-regulators that associate with regulatory proteins but cannot directly bind to the DNA. These co-regulators are further divided into...
7.7K
Anaphase Promoting Complex00:50

Anaphase Promoting Complex

The stepwise destruction of specific proteins is necessary for the progression and completion of the cell cycle. Such proteins are ubiquitinated by ubiquitin ligases and then subsequently destroyed by the proteasome. The SCF (Skp1/Cullin/F-box) and the anaphase-promoting complex (APC) are two important ubiquitin ligases involved in cell cycle progression. While SCF is active throughout the cell cycle, APC gets activated during metaphase to anaphase transition. Cdc20 or Cdh1 binds to APC and...
3.0K
Inhibition of Cdk Activity02:34

Inhibition of Cdk Activity

The orderly progression of the cell cycle depends on the activation of Cdk protein by binding to its cyclin partner. However, the cell cycle must be restricted when undergoing abnormal changes. Most cancers correlate to the deregulated cell cycle, and since Cdks are a central component of the cell cycle, Cdk inhibitors are extensively studied to develop anticancer agents. For instance, cyclin D associates with several Cdks, such as Cdk 4/6, to form an active complex. The cyclin D-Cdk4/6 complex...
5.0K
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...
7.2K