Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 3, 2025

Repressing Gene Transcription by Redirecting Cellular Machinery with Chemical Epigenetic Modifiers
Published on: September 20, 2018
Regulation of Nucleolar Activity by MYC
Isabella N Brown1, M Carmen Lafita-Navarro1, Maralice Conacci-Sorrell1,2,3
1Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
Abstract:
The nucleolus harbors the machinery necessary to produce new ribosomes which are critical for protein synthesis. Nucleolar size, shape, and density are highly dynamic and can be adjusted to accommodate ribosome biogenesis according to the needs for protein synthesis. In cancer, cells undergo continuous proliferation; therefore, nucleolar activity is elevated due to their high demand for protein synthesis. The transcription factor and universal oncogene MYC promotes nucleolar activity by enhancing the transcription of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and ribosomal proteins. This review summarizes the importance of nucleolar activity in mammalian cells, MYC's role in nucleolar regulation in cancer, and discusses how a better understanding (and the potential inhibition) of aberrant nucleolar activity in cancer cells could lead to novel therapeutics.
Related Concept Videos
Regulation of Nuclear Protein Sorting
Abnormal Proliferation
The Nucleolus
Chromatin Structure Regulates pre-mRNA Processing
The chromatin structure, especially...
Regulation of Expression at Multiple Steps
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Somatic...

