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DNA binding by the Myc oncoproteins

  • Chapter
Oncogenes and Tumor Suppressor Genes in Human Malignancies

Part of the book series: Cancer Treatment and Research ((CTAR,volume 63))

Abstract

The v-myc oncogene was first identified in 1977 as the transforming gene of the MC29 avian retrovirus, which causes myelocytomatosis, carcinomas, and sarcomas in chickens [1]. The c-myc proto-oncogene has since been identified in a wide variety of organisms ranging from the invertebrate sea star [2] to humans [3]. Deregulated expression of a normal c-myc gene leads to malignant transformation in certain cell culture models, such as primary rat embryo fibroblasts (REF; in which the coexpression of a second activated oncogene, ras, is also required) [4,5], and in transgenic mice [6] and rabbits [7]. Burkitt lymphoma, a naturally occurring human tumor, provides a paradigm for the role of c-myc in malignant transformation. In this case, chromosomal translocation of the c-myc locus to a location downstream of the regulatory elements of the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene results in deregulated expression of c-myc [8]. In contrast to many other oncogenes that have activating mutations in the coding sequence, this deregulated expression of a normal c-myc coding sequence appears to be responsible for the oncogenic contribution of c-myc [4].

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Authors
  1. Gregory J. Kato
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  2. Daniel S. Wechsler
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  3. Chi V. Dang
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Cancer Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, USA

    Christopher C. Benz

  2. Lineberger Cancer Research Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA

    Edison T. Liu

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© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Kato, G.J., Wechsler, D.S., Dang, C.V. (1993). DNA binding by the Myc oncoproteins. In: Benz, C.C., Liu, E.T. (eds) Oncogenes and Tumor Suppressor Genes in Human Malignancies. Cancer Treatment and Research, vol 63. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3088-6_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3088-6_16

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-6349-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-3088-6

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