Methylation of plasmacytoma c-myc genes

The chromosomal translocation associated with many tumors of immunoglobulin-producing cells frequently results in the joining of the immunoglobulin heavy-chain locus and the c-myc oncogene. This translocation of c-myc has profound structural and functional consequences for the oncogene, including loss of the 5' end of the gene and transcriptional deregulation. We report in this communication that translocation results in a new methylation pattern of c-myc. In normal kidney and liver tissue, the c-myc gene is methylated at its 3' end. The translocated gene in plasmacytoma DNA is extensively demethylated. On the other hand, the nonrearranged c-myc gene in plasmacytoma DNA (which is transcriptionally silent) is extensively methylated. In addition, we confirm the nucleotide sequence (with 19 discrepancies out of 1400 bp) 5' to the murine c-myc gene, as reported by Corcoran et al. [Cell 40 (1985) 71-79].