Regulation of c-Myc and Max in megakaryocytic and monocytic-macrophagic differentiation of K562 cells induced by protein kinase C modifiers: c-Myc is down-regulated but does not inhibit differentiation.

We have studied the regulation and role of c-Myc and Max in the differentiation pathways induced in K562 cells by 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13 acetate (TPA) and staurosporine, an activator and inhibitor, respectively, of protein kinase C (PKC). We found that staurosporine induced megakaryocytic differentiation, as revealed by the cellular ultrastructure, platelet formation, and DNA endoreduplication. In contrast, TPA induced a differentiated phenotype that more closely resembled that of the monocyte-macrophage lineage. c-myc expression was down-regulated in K562 differentiated by both TPA and staurosporine, whereas max expression did not change in either case. Although PKC enzymatic activity was low in cells terminally differentiated with TPA and staurosporine, inhibition of PKC activity by itself did not induce c-myc down-regulation. We conclude that the c-myc gene is switched off as a consequence of the differentiation process triggered by these drugs in a manner independent from PKC. Ectopic overexpression of c-Myc in K562 cells did not affect the monocytic-macrophagic and megakaryocytic differentiation, indicating that c-Myc suppression is not required for these processes in K562. Similarly, both differentiation pathways were not affected by Max overexpression or by concomitant overexpression of c-Myc and Max. This result is in contrast with the inhibition of erythroid differentiation of K562 exerted by c-Myc, suggesting divergent roles for c-Myc/Max, depending on the differentiation pathway.     

The c-Myc Oncoprotein Interacts with Bcr

Bcr is a multifunctional protein that is the fusion partner for Abl (p210 Bcr-Abl) in Philadelphia chromosome positive leukemias. We have identified c-Myc as a binding partner for Bcr in both yeast and mammalian cells. We are also able to observe interactions between natively expressed c-Myc and Bcr in leukemic cell lines. Although Bcr and Max have overlapping binding sites on c-Myc, Bcr cannot interact with Max, or with the c-Myc.Max heterodimer. Bcr expression blocks activation of c-Myc-responsive genes, as well as the transformed phenotype induced by coexpression of c-Myc and H-Ras, and this finding suggests that one function of Bcr is to limit the activity of c-Myc. However, Bcr does not block c-Myc function by preventing its nuclear localization. Interestingly, increased Bcr dosage in COS-7 and K-562 cells correlates with a reduction in c-Myc protein levels, suggesting that Bcr may in fact be limiting c-Myc activity by regulating its stability. These data indicate that Bcr is a novel regulator of c-Myc function whose disrupted expression may contribute to the high level of c-Myc protein that is observed in Bcr-Abl transformed cells.     

敲低去泛素化酶USP13抑制K562细胞的增殖*

目的:研究去泛素化酶USP13对人慢性髓系白血病细胞系K562增殖和凋亡的影响,并进行初步的机制探究。方法:构建pLKO.1-shUSP13-GFP慢病毒干涉载体,慢病毒包装后感染并建立稳定敲低USP13的K562细胞株。免疫印迹检测K562细胞中USP13蛋白的敲低效率。流式细胞术分析敲低USP13对K562细胞增殖和凋亡的影响。免疫共沉淀和蛋白质泛素化实验探究USP13调控K562细胞的分子机制。结果:成功构建pLKO.1-shUSP13-GFP慢病毒干涉载体,同时利用慢病毒体系获得稳定敲低USP13的K562细胞株。流式细胞术结果显示,敲低USP13促进K562细胞凋亡、抑制细胞增殖。分子机制研究发现,敲低USP13通过增强c-Myc泛素化进而导致其蛋白质水平降低。结论:初步揭示了USP13调控K562细胞增殖和凋亡的分子机制,为治疗慢性髓系白血病提供了潜在的靶点。     

FBXO32 Targets c-Myc for Proteasomal Degradation and Inhibits c-Myc Activity

FBXO32 (MAFbx/Atrogin-1) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that is markedly up-regulated in muscle atrophy. Although some data indicate that FBXO32 may play an important role in tumorigenesis, the molecular mechanism of FBXO32 in tumorigenesis has been poorly understood. Here, we present evidence that FBXO32 targets the oncogenic protein c-Myc for ubiquitination and degradation through the proteasome pathway. Phosphorylation of c-Myc at Thr-58 and Ser-62 is dispensable for FBXO32 to induce c-Myc degradation. Mutation of the lysine 326 in c-Myc reduces c-Myc ubiquitination and prevents the c-Myc degradation induced by FBXO32. Furthermore, overexpression of FBXO32 suppresses c-Myc activity and inhibits cell growth, but knockdown of FBXO32 enhances c-Myc activity and promotes cell growth. Finally, we show that FBXO32 is a direct downstream target of c-Myc, highlighting a negative feedback regulation loop between c-Myc and FBXO32. Thus, FBXO32 may function by targeting c-Myc. This work explains the function of FBXO32 and highlights its mechanisms in tumorigenesis.     

HPV-18 E7 conjugates to c-Myc and mediates its transcriptional activity

Several reports in the literature have indicated that the E6 not only elevates the level of c-Myc level but that the protein also associates with the Myc complex and activates Myc-responsive genes. There would seem to be a mechanism by which this oncogene can modulate cell proliferation and differentiation. Furthermore, an increase in c-Myc levels has also observed during ectopic expression of HPV E7 alone. Using the yeast two-hybrid system, we further found that the c-Myc interacts and forms a specific complex with HPV-16E7. In this study, we have demonstrated that E7 does indeed interact with c-Myc and a sequential deletion analysis of E7 maps the c-Myc interaction site to the carboxyl-terminal region. We determined two HPV-18 E7 binding sites on c-Myc involving the amino acids regions 1-100 and 367-439. The interaction of the high-risk type HPV E7 with c-Myc can augment c-Myc transactivation activity but this does not occur with low-risk type HPV E7. Deletion within the Cys-X-X-Cys repeat motif at the C-terminus of HPV-18 E7 leads to a lost of association with c-Myc and also abolishes the enhancement of c-Myc's transactivation activity. Furthermore, the interaction of HPV-18 E7 with c-Myc functionally promotes c-Myc's DNA-binding ability. Using the hTERT promoter as a model, enhanced c-Myc binding ability to the hTERT promoter as measured by immunoprecipitation assay was observed and occurred in an E7 dose-dependent manner. Taken together, these results provide significant new insights into the association of c-Myc with E7 and the possible involvement of high-risk E7 in oncogenesis.     

c-Myc inactivation by mutant max alters growth and morphology of NCI-H-630 colon cancer cells

The myc gene family has been implicated in multiple cell processes including proliferation, differentiation, tumorigenesis, and apoptosis. For its cellular growth promoting function, Myc must heterodimerize with Max. To study the effect of Myc inactivation on the growth and differentiation properties of epithelial tumor cells, we transfected the H-630 human colon cancer cell line with bm-max, a mutant Max protein in which DNA-binding activity has been abolished. Cells expressing high levels of bm-Max grow poorly, and the morphology of both colonies and single cells is altered. Moreover, increased bm-Max expression results in a prolonged G₀/G₁ phase accompanied by induced expression of p21 (WAF1/CIP1), elevated levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and accumulation of large fat granuli within the cells. These distinctive cell characteristics are associated with differentiation processes in numerous malignant cell lines. The results of this study support a model in which sequestering of endogenous Myc and Max proteins into “basic mutant” dimers lacking DNA-binding activity is sufficient both to inhibit proliferation and to induce changes in cell behavior consistent with differentiation. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

1 This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.