Expression of sequences related to c-myc in Entamoeba

The evolutionarily conserved proto-oncogene c-myc is involved in both proliferation and differentiation processes of higher eukaryotic cells. We report here the identification and characterization of sequences homologous to c-myc in different Entamoeba species using a fragment of the mammalian c-myc gene as a probe. This probe hybridized with fragments of 3.5 and 3.4 kilobases (kb) in E. histolytica HindIII of EcoRI digested DNA. In E. invadens it recognized fragments of 3.1 and 2.8 kb, and in Laredo strain (reported as E. moshkovskii by Clark and Diamond in 1991) the probe hybridized with fragments of 17 kb. The c-myc probe identified transcripts of 3.3 and 1.5 kb in E. histolytica, transcripts of 1.8 and 1.3 kb in Laredo strain, and transcripts of 3.7, 1.8, 1.5 and 1.1 kb in E. invadens. Antibodies against a highly conserved region of the c-myc protein recognized in E. histolytica polypeptides of 35, 40, and 60 kDa. The expression of the 60 kDa polypeptide was temperature-inducible in Laredo strain. In E. invadens a 110 kDa strong band was detected by the antibodies. Surprisingly, E. invadens myc-like sequences and proteins showed greater homology to mammalian c-myc gene and proteins. Expression of proteins antigenically related to c-myc varied according to the cell cycle phase of E. histolytica. These proteins peaked during D, G1, and S phases and declined during G2.