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C-myc
''Myc'' is a family of regulator genes and proto-oncogenes that code for transcription factors. The ''Myc'' family consists of three related human genes: ''c-myc'' ( MYC), ''l-myc'' ( MYCL), and ''n-myc'' ( MYCN). ''c-myc'' (also sometimes referred to as ''MYC'') was the first gene to be discovered in this family, due to homology with the viral gene ''v-myc''. In cancer, ''c-myc'' is often constitutively (persistently) expressed. This leads to the increased expression of many genes, some of which are involved in cell proliferation, contributing to the formation of cancer. A common human translocation involving ''c-myc'' is critical to the development of most cases of Burkitt lymphoma. Constitutive upregulation of ''Myc'' genes have also been observed in carcinoma of the cervix, colon, breast, lung and stomach. Myc is thus viewed as a promising target for anti-cancer drugs. Unfortunately, Myc possesses several features that render it undruggable such that any anti-cancer d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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Burkitt's Lymphoma
Burkitt lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, particularly B lymphocytes found in the germinal center. It is named after Denis Parsons Burkitt, the Irish surgeon who first described the disease in 1958 while working in equatorial Africa. The overall cure rate for Burkitt lymphoma in developed countries is about 90%, and it is worse in low-income countries. Burkitt lymphoma is uncommon in adults, in whom it has a worse prognosis. Classification Burkitt lymphoma can be divided into three main clinical variants: the endemic, the sporadic, and the immunodeficiency-associated variants. By morphology (i.e., microscopic appearance), immunophenotype, and genetics, the variants of Burkitt lymphoma are alike. * The endemic variant (also called "African variant") most commonly occurs in children living in malaria-endemic regions of the world (e.g., equatorial Africa, Brazil, and Papua New Guinea). Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection is found in nearly all patients. Chronic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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Burkitt Lymphoma
Burkitt lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, particularly B lymphocytes found in the germinal center. It is named after Denis Parsons Burkitt, the Irish surgeon who first described the disease in 1958 while working in equatorial Africa. The overall cure rate for Burkitt lymphoma in developed countries is about 90%, and it is worse in low-income countries. Burkitt lymphoma is uncommon in adults, in whom it has a worse prognosis. Classification Burkitt lymphoma can be divided into three main clinical variants: the endemic, the sporadic, and the immunodeficiency-associated variants. By morphology (i.e., microscopic appearance), immunophenotype, and genetics, the variants of Burkitt lymphoma are alike. * The endemic variant (also called "African variant") most commonly occurs in children living in malaria-endemic regions of the world (e.g., equatorial Africa, Brazil, and Papua New Guinea). Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection is found in nearly all patients. Chronic mala ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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MAX (gene)
''MAX'' (also known as myc-associated factor X) is a gene that in humans encodes the MAX transcription factor. Function The protein product of ''MAX'' contains the basic helix-loop-helix and leucine zipper motifs. It is therefore included in the bHLHZ family of transcription factors. It is able to form homodimers with other MAX proteins and heterodimers with other transcription factors, including Mad, Mxl1 and Myc. The homodimers and heterodimers compete for a common DNA target site (the E-box) in a gene promoter zone. Rearrangement of dimers (e.g., Mad:Max, Max:Myc) provides a system of transcriptional regulation with greater diversity of gene targets. Max must dimerise in order to be biologically active. Transcriptionally active hetero- and homodimers involving Max can promote cell proliferation as well as apoptosis. Interactions The protein product of Max has been shown to interact with: * Myc, * MNT, * MSH2, * MXD1, * MXI1, * MYCL1, * N-Myc, * SPAG9, * TE ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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N-Myc
N-myc proto-oncogene protein also known as N-Myc or basic helix-loop-helix protein 37 (bHLHe37), is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''MYCN'' gene. Function The ''MYCN'' gene is a member of the MYC family of transcription factors and encodes a protein with a basic helix-loop-helix ( bHLH) domain. This protein is located in the cell nucleus and must dimerize with another bHLH protein in order to bind DNA. N-Myc is highly expressed in the fetal brain and is critical for normal brain development. The ''MYCN'' gene has an antisense RNA, N-cym or ''MYCNOS'', transcribed from the opposite strand which can be translated to form a protein product. N-Myc and ''MYCNOS'' are co-regulated both in normal development and in tumor cells, so it is possible that the two transcripts are functionally related. It has been shown that the antisense RNA encodes for a protein, named NCYM, that has originated ''de novo'' and is specific to human and chimpanzee. This NCYM protein inhibits GSK ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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Chromosomal Translocation
In genetics, chromosome translocation is a phenomenon that results in unusual rearrangement of chromosomes. This includes balanced and unbalanced translocation, with two main types: reciprocal-, and Robertsonian translocation. Reciprocal translocation is a chromosome abnormality caused by exchange of parts between non-homologous chromosomes. Two detached fragments of two different chromosomes are switched. Robertsonian translocation occurs when two non-homologous chromosomes get attached, meaning that given two healthy pairs of chromosomes, one of each pair "sticks" and blends together homogeneously. A gene fusion may be created when the translocation joins two otherwise-separated genes. It is detected on cytogenetics or a karyotype of affected cells. Translocations can be balanced (in an even exchange of material with no genetic information extra or missing, and ideally full functionality) or unbalanced (where the exchange of chromosome material is unequal resulting in extra o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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Wnt Signalling Pathway
The Wnt signaling pathways are a group of signal transduction pathways which begin with proteins that pass signals into a cell through cell surface receptors. The name Wnt is a portmanteau created from the names Wingless and Int-1. Wnt signaling pathways use either nearby cell-cell communication (paracrine) or same-cell communication (autocrine). They are highly evolutionarily conserved in animals, which means they are similar across animal species from fruit flies to humans. Three Wnt signaling pathways have been characterized: the canonical Wnt pathway, the noncanonical planar cell polarity pathway, and the noncanonical Wnt/calcium pathway. All three pathways are activated by the binding of a Wnt-protein ligand to a Frizzled family receptor, which passes the biological signal to the Dishevelled protein inside the cell. The canonical Wnt pathway leads to regulation of gene transcription, and is thought to be negatively regulated in part by the SPATS1 gene. The noncanonical p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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Transcription Factor
In molecular biology, a transcription factor (TF) (or sequence-specific DNA-binding factor) is a protein that controls the rate of transcription of genetic information from DNA to messenger RNA, by binding to a specific DNA sequence. The function of TFs is to regulate—turn on and off—genes in order to make sure that they are expressed in the desired cells at the right time and in the right amount throughout the life of the cell and the organism. Groups of TFs function in a coordinated fashion to direct cell division, cell growth, and cell death throughout life; cell migration and organization ( body plan) during embryonic development; and intermittently in response to signals from outside the cell, such as a hormone. There are up to 1600 TFs in the human genome. Transcription factors are members of the proteome as well as regulome. TFs work alone or with other proteins in a complex, by promoting (as an activator), or blocking (as a repressor) the recruitment o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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E-box
An E-box (enhancer box) is a DNA response element found in some eukaryotes that acts as a protein-binding site and has been found to regulate gene expression in neurons, muscles, and other tissues. Its specific DNA sequence, CANNTG (where N can be any nucleotide), with a palindromic canonical sequence of CACGTG, is recognized and bound by transcription factors to initiate gene transcription. Once the transcription factors bind to the promoters through the E-box, other enzymes can bind to the promoter and facilitate transcription from DNA to mRNA. Discovery The E-box was discovered in a collaboration between Susumu Tonegawa's and Walter Gilbert's laboratories in 1985 as a control element in immunoglobulin heavy-chain enhancer. They found that a region of 140 base pairs in the tissue-specific transcriptional enhancer element was sufficient for different levels of transcription enhancement in different tissues and sequences. They suggested that proteins made by specific tissues act ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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Internal Ribosome Entry Site
An internal ribosome entry site, abbreviated IRES, is an RNA element that allows for translation initiation in a cap-independent manner, as part of the greater process of protein synthesis. In eukaryotic translation, initiation typically occurs at the 5' end of mRNA molecules, since 5' cap recognition is required for the assembly of the initiation complex. The location for IRES elements is often in the 5'UTR, but can also occur elsewhere in mRNAs. History IRES sequences were first discovered in 1988 in the poliovirus (PV) and encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) RNA genomes in the labs of Nahum Sonenberg and Eckard Wimmer, respectively. They are described as distinct regions of RNA molecules that are able to recruit the eukaryotic ribosome to the mRNA. This process is also known as cap-independent translation. It has been shown that IRES elements have a distinct secondary or even tertiary structure, but similar structural features at the levels of either primary or secondary str ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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Chromosomal Translocation
In genetics, chromosome translocation is a phenomenon that results in unusual rearrangement of chromosomes. This includes balanced and unbalanced translocation, with two main types: reciprocal-, and Robertsonian translocation. Reciprocal translocation is a chromosome abnormality caused by exchange of parts between non-homologous chromosomes. Two detached fragments of two different chromosomes are switched. Robertsonian translocation occurs when two non-homologous chromosomes get attached, meaning that given two healthy pairs of chromosomes, one of each pair "sticks" and blends together homogeneously. A gene fusion may be created when the translocation joins two otherwise-separated genes. It is detected on cytogenetics or a karyotype of affected cells. Translocations can be balanced (in an even exchange of material with no genetic information extra or missing, and ideally full functionality) or unbalanced (where the exchange of chromosome material is unequal resulting in extra o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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Leucine Zipper
A leucine zipper (or leucine scissors) is a common three-dimensional structural motif in proteins. They were first described by Landschulz and collaborators in 1988 when they found that an enhancer binding protein had a very characteristic 30-amino acid segment and the display of these amino acid sequences on an idealized alpha helix revealed a periodic repetition of leucine residues at every seventh position over a distance covering eight helical turns. The polypeptide segments containing these periodic arrays of leucine residues were proposed to exist in an alpha-helical conformation and the leucine side chains from one alpha helix interdigitate with those from the alpha helix of a second polypeptide, facilitating dimerization. Leucine zippers are a dimerization motif of the bZIP (Basic-region leucine zipper) class of eukaryotic transcription factors. The bZIP domain is 60 to 80 amino acids in length with a highly conserved DNA binding basic region and a more diversified leu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |