Background
Myc, also known as c-Myc, together with l-Myc and n-Myc, belongs to the Myc family of transcription factors. Myc has a basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper domain and through heterodimerization can bind and regulate the transcriptional activity of genes. It is a key player in the regulation of cell growth and cell cycle progression and acts as a proto-oncogene. Myc localizes to the nucleus but can also be present in the cytoplasm of certain cancer types. Myc is ubiquitously expressed in almost all cell types and its expression positively correlates with tissue proliferative capacity. Myc is also expressed during embryogenesis. Myc is upregulated in many cancer types, especially in aggressive, poorly differentiated tumors. Mutations in the MYC gene and breakpoint translocations within the MYC gene cause Burkitt lymphoma. In addition, Myc is subject to various post-translational modifications, including phosphorylation, acetylation, and ubiquitinylation.
Cellular location
Nucleus
