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. 1986 May;83(9):2939–2943. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.9.2939

A translocated human c-myc oncogene is altered in a conserved coding sequence.

W Murphy, J Sarid, R Taub, T Vasicek, J Battey, G Lenoir, P Leder
PMCID: PMC323422  PMID: 3517879

Abstract

We have cloned and characterized a c-myc (now designated MYC) oncogene that had been translocated into the mu switch region of the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus in a Burkitt lymphoma cell line. The breakpoint of the translocation occurs within the first intron of the c-myc gene, thereby separating the untranslocated first exon from the two coding exons. Transcription from the translocated gene arises from a cryptic promoter within the first intron, which produces a 438-nucleotide untranslated 5' region. The amino acid sequence of the protein encoded by the c-myc gene has been substantially altered. In particular, a compensating set of frameshift mutations alters a string of 24 amino acids in a region of the protein tightly conserved in human, mouse, and chicken c-myc genes as well as in the human N-myc and L-myc oncogenes. Despite this, the mutated gene retains a reduced transforming ability in a rat embryo fibroblast focus-formation assay.

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Selected References

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