Myc

Myc (c-Myc) is a regulator gene that codes for a transcription factor.

A mutated version of Myc is found in many cancers, which causes Myc to be constitutively (persistently) expressed. This leads to the unregulated expression of many genes, some of which are involved in cell proliferation and results in the formation of cancer.

A common human translocation involving Myc is t(8;14) which is critical to the development of most cases of Burkitt's Lymphoma. Malfunctions in Myc have also been found in carcinoma of the cervix, colon, breast, lung and stomach. Nobel laureate James D. Watson and others believe that Myc is a promising target for anti-cancer drugs.

In the human genome, Myc is located on chromosome 8 and is believed to regulate expression of 15% of all genes through binding on Enhancer Box sequences (E-boxes) and recruiting histone acetyltransferases (HATs). This means that in addition to its role as a classical transcription factor, Myc also functions to regulate global chromatin structure by regulating histone acetylation both in gene-rich regions and at sites far from any known gene.

Read more about Myc:  Discovery, Structure, Molecular Function, Myc-Nick, Animal Models, Interactions, Effects, Cancer Research