Abrogation by c-myc of G1 phase arrest induced by RB protein but not by p53.

Inactivating mutations of the retinoblastoma gene (RB) are found in a wide variety of tumour cells. Replacement of wild-type RB can suppress the tumorigenicity of some of these cells, suggesting that the RB protein (Rb) may negatively regulate cell growth. As activation of c-myc expression promotes cell proliferation and blocks differentiation, it may positively regulate cell growth. The c-myc protein is localized in the nucleus and can physically associate with RB protein in vitro, hence c-myc may functionally antagonize RB function. Microinjection of Rb in G1 phase reversibly arrests cell-cycle progression. Here we co-inject RB protein with c-myc, EJ-ras, c-fos or c-jun protein. Co-injection of c-myc, but not EJ-ras, c-fos or c-jun, inhibits the ability of Rb to arrest the cell cycle. The c-myc does not inhibit the activity of another tumour supressor, p53 (ref. 12). Thus, c-myc and RB specifically antagonize one another in the cell.     

c-Myc regulates mammalian body size by controlling cell number but not cell size.

Overexpression of the proto-oncogene c-myc has been implicated in the genesis of diverse human tumours. c-Myc seems to regulate diverse biological processes, but its role in tumorigenesis and normal physiology remains enigmatic. Here we report the generation of an allelic series of mice in which c-myc expression is incrementally reduced to zero. Fibroblasts from these mice show reduced proliferation and after complete loss of c-Myc function they exit the cell cycle. We show that Myc activity is not needed for cellular growth but does determine the percentage of activated T cells that re-enter the cell cycle. In vivo, reduction of c-Myc levels results in reduced body mass owing to multiorgan hypoplasia, in contrast to Drosophila c-myc mutants, which are smaller as a result of hypotrophy. We find that c-myc substitutes for c-myc in fibroblasts, indicating they have similar biological activities. This suggests there may be fundamental differences in the mechanisms by which mammals and insects control body size. We propose that in mammals c-Myc controls the decision to divide or not to divide and thereby functions as a crucial mediator of signals that determine organ and body size.     

Expression of a transfected human c-myc oncogene inhibits differentiation of a mouse erythroleukaemia cell line

The Friend-virus-derived mouse erythroleukaemia (MEL) cell lines represent transformed early erythroid precursors that can be induced to differentiate into more mature erythroid cells by a variety of agents including dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO). There is a latent period of 12 hours after inducer is added, when 80-90% of the cells become irreversibly committed to the differentiation programme, undergoing several rounds of cell division before permanently ceasing to replicate. After DMSO induction, a biphasic decline in steady-state levels of c-myc and c-myb messenger RNAs occurs. Following the initial decrease in c-myc mRNA expression, the subsequent increase occurs in, and is restricted to, the G1 phase of the cell cycle. We sought to determine whether the down-regulation is a necessary step in chemically induced differentiation. Experiments reported here indicate that expression in MEL cells of a transfected human c-myc gene inhibits the terminal differentiation process.     

HMBA对人成骨肉瘤MG-63细胞增殖和相关基因表达的影响

研究了环六亚甲基双乙酰胺对人成骨肉瘤MG-63细胞的增殖和相关基因表达的影响.实验结果表明HMBA可明显抑制MG-63细胞的增殖,细胞生长抑制率达50.69%,分裂指数抑制率达58.8%,增殖细胞核抗原的表达降低,细胞周期被阻滞在G0/G1期.免疫细胞化学染色结果显示,经HMBA处理之后,与增殖分化调控有关的癌基因c-myc、c-fos、c-erbB-2、mtp53的表达降低、抑癌基因p21WAF1/CIP1、p16、rb的表达升高.研究结果表明,HMBA能够有效抑制人成骨肉瘤MG-63细胞的增殖活动,其对细胞增殖的抑制作用与HMBA下调c-myc、c-fos、c-erbB-2、mtp53等癌基因以及上调p21WAF1/CIP1、p16、rb等抑癌基因的表达,从而调控细胞周期有重要关系.     

Nucleotide sequence of cloned cDNA of human c-myc oncogene

Like other transforming genes of retroviruses, the v-myc gene of the avian virus, MC29, has a homologue in the genome of normal eukaryotic cells. The human cellular homologue, c-myc, located on human chromosome 8, region q24 leads to qter (refs 1, 2), is translocated into the immunoglobulin heavy-chain locus on human chromosome 14 (ref. 3) in Burkitt's lymphoma, suggesting that c-myc has a primary role in transformation of some human haematopoietic cells. In addition, c-myc is amplified in the human promyelocytic leukaemia cell line, HL60 (refs 6, 7) which also contains high levels of c-myc mRNA. Recently, Colby et al. reported the nucleotide sequence of the human c-myc DNA isolated from a genomic recombinant DNA library derived from human fetal liver. This 4,053-base pair (bp) sequence includes two exons and one intron of the myc gene, and the authors have suggested the existence of a human c-myc mRNA of 2,291 nucleotides that has a coding capacity for a protein of molecular weight (Mr) 48,812. We have approached the problem of accurately defining the characteristics of the human c-myc mRNA and c-myc protein by determining the sequence of the c-myc cDNA isolated from a cDNA library prepared from mRNA of a clone of the K562 human leukaemic cell line. K562 cells are known to contain c-myc mRNA which is similar in size to the c-myc mRNA of other human cell types. We report here the sequence of 2,121 nucleotides of a human c-myc mRNA and demonstrate that its 5' noncoding sequence does not correspond to the sequence of the reported genomic human sequence. However, our data confirm that the intact human c-myc mRNA can encode a 48,812-Mr protein with a sequence identical to that reported by Colby et al.     

Bcl-2 gene promotes haemopoietic cell survival and cooperates with c-myc to immortalize pre-B cells

A common feature of follicular lymphoma, the most prevalent haematological malignancy in humans, is a chromosome translocation (t(14;18] that has coupled the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus to a chromosome 18 gene denoted bcl-2. By analogy with the translocated c-myc oncogene in other B-lymphoid tumours bcl-2 is a candidate oncogene, but no biological effects of bcl-2 have yet been reported. To test whether bcl-2 influences the growth of haematopoietic cells, either alone or together with a deregulated c-myc gene, we have introduced a human bcl-2 complementary DNA using a retroviral vector into bone marrow cells from either normal or E mu-myc transgenic mice, in which B-lineage cells constitutively express the c-myc gene. Bcl-2 cooperated with c-myc to promote proliferation of B-cell precursors, some of which became tumorigenic. To determine how bcl-2 expression impinges on growth factor requirements, the gene was introduced into a lymphoid and a myeloid cell line that require interleukin 3 (IL-3). In the absence of IL-3, bcl-2 promoted the survival of the infected cells but they persisted in a G0 state, rather than proliferating. These results argue that bcl-2 provided a distinct survival signal to the cell and may contribute to neoplasia by allowing a clone to persist until other oncogenes, such as c-myc, become activated.     

芒果多酚对宫颈癌Hela细胞的抑制作用及机制

用芒果多酚处理人宫颈癌细胞(Hela)后,采用MTT法检测细胞的存活率;Hoechst 33258荧光染色和流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡、细胞周期分布,同时用Western blot检测p53,p21,c-myc,cyclin D1蛋白质水平变化.结果显示：0.025,0.05, 0.1,0.2,0.4 mg/mL的芒果多酚溶液能明显抑制Hela细胞的增殖,并呈剂量和时间依赖性;荧光染色后,大多数细胞内可以看见浓密的荧光颗粒,并出现核收缩;流式细胞术分析发现,与未处理组比较,芒果多酚作用后的G1期Hela细胞数显著增多,G2期细胞数逐渐减少;凋亡率明显高于对照组;Western blot检测显示芒果多酚上调p53,p21蛋白水平,下调c-myc,cyclin D1蛋白水平. 以上结果表明芒果多酚能明显抑制人宫颈癌Hela细胞的增殖,诱导其凋亡.     

Expression of c-myc changes during differentiation of mouse erythroleukaemia cells

The transforming gene of avian myelocytomatosis virus MC29, v-myc, causes a variety of malignancies in chickens. A cellular homologue, c-myc, has been implicated in B-cell malignancies in mice and humans but is also expressed in many normal cell types and may be important in the control of normal cell proliferation. c-myc is highly conserved in vertebrates. We have been investigating the relationship between c-myc expression and the terminal differentiation of cultured mouse erythroleukaemia (MEL) cells. We find that the level of c-myc messenger RNA shows a rapid biphasic change in MEL cells induced to differentiate by dimethyl sulphoxide or hypoxanthine. The changes occur during the first few hours of the differentiation programme and require active protein synthesis. These data suggest that changes in c-myc expression may be important in the irreversible commitment of MEL cells to terminal erythroid differentiation.     

Elevated c-myc expression facilitates the replication of SV40 DNA in human lymphoma cells

The v-myc oncogene can induce tumours in haematopoietic, mesenchymal and epithelial tissues. The corresponding c-myc proto-oncogene can contribute to the genesis and/or the progression of an equally wide variety of tumours when activated by retroviral insertions, chromosomal translocations or gene amplification. The c-myc gene product is a DNA-binding, nuclear phosphoprotein that is involved in the control of cell proliferation and possibly in DNA synthesis. The replication of Simian virus 40 (SV40) is a useful model system to study eukaryotic DNA replication as the virus relies almost entirely on cellular DNA replication apparatus. The SV40-based vector, pSVEpR4, replicates poorly in the human BJAB lymphoma line and in most human cells, but replicates well in Burkitt lymphoma lines, which have fused immunoglobulin and c-myc genes, resulting in high c-myc expression. Cotransfection of the BJAB cells with a c-myc-expressing construct (pI4-P6) increased the replication of pSVEpR4 tenfold. Our findings indicate that overexpression of the c-myc gene product allows the replication of SV40 in human lymphoma cells, suggesting that c-myc is involved in the control of replication.     

Effect of P15INK4b expression on the cell cycle and G1 phase related regulatory genes in human melanoma cells

Using the transfeetion teehnique. P15INK4b was introduced into P15INk4b gene deleted human melanoma A375 cells,and a cell model MLED6 overexpressing P15INK4b WAS CONSTRUCTED.Comparing with the control cells MLC2,MLEK6cells in G1phase increased by 11%,but those in Sphase decreased by 15%by FCM.By the method of thymidine(TdR)and N2O arresting,the proportions of synchronized Mphase cells of MLEK6 ana MLC23 were measured and found to be 89.1% and 76.8%respectively ,and the cells in G1phase were 74.3% for MLID6 AND 76. 4% forMLC2.The result of3 H-TdR incorporation indicated that the transition of G1/Sof MLEK6 cell was delayed 2h as compared with that of MLC2 cells,and incorporation rate also decreased.The observation on exprissions of some G1/ S-resates relatory rigusating genes showed that in MLIK6 cells the protein leves of P27KIPI increased with the decreasing expressions of cyclinD1,cyclinE and c-myc,especially cyclinD1 in late G1phade.The expression of cyclinE obviously decreased at G1/S transition ,and c-myc wad inhibited throughout all the process of G1 S phase.All the risults suggest that P15INK4b can delayG1/S transition of MLEK6 cells by inhibiting the cell cycle engine ,and by increasing the expression of Cdk ingibitor P27KIPI in different stages of G1 phase.     

Identification of nuclear proteins encoded by viral and cellular myc oncogenes

The myelocytomatosis viruses are a family of replication-defective avian retroviruses that cause a variety of tumours in chickens and transform both fibroblasts and macrophages in culture through the activity of their oncogene v-myc. A closely related gene (c-myc) is found in vertebrate animals and is thought to be the progenitor of v-myc. Changes in the expression and perhaps the structure of c-myc have been implicated in the genesis of avian, murine and human tumours (for a review, see ref. 15). Elucidation of the mechanisms by which v-myc and c-myc might elicit tumorigenesis requires identification of the proteins encoded by these genes. To this end, we have expressed a portion of v-myc in a bacterial host and used the resulting protein to raise antisera that react with myc proteins. We report here that v-myc and c-myc encode closely related proteins with molecular weights (MWs) of approximately 58,000. Integration of retroviral DNA near or within c-myc in avian lymphomas apparently enhances expression of the gene. Here we have used cells from one such tumour to identify the protein encoded by c-myc and find that the coding domain for the gene is probably intact.