Structural highlights
Disease
[MYC_HUMAN] Note=Overexpression of MYC is implicated in the etiology of a variety of hematopoietic tumors. Note=A chromosomal aberration involving MYC may be a cause of a form of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Translocation t(8;12)(q24;q22) with BTG1. Defects in MYC are a cause of Burkitt lymphoma (BL) [MIM:113970]. A form of undifferentiated malignant lymphoma commonly manifested as a large osteolytic lesion in the jaw or as an abdominal mass. Note=Chromosomal aberrations involving MYC are usually found in Burkitt lymphoma. Translocations t(8;14), t(8;22) or t(2;8) which juxtapose MYC to one of the heavy or light chain immunoglobulin gene loci.
Function
[MYC_HUMAN] Participates in the regulation of gene transcription. Binds DNA in a non-specific manner, yet also specifically recognizes the core sequence 5'-CAC[GA]TG-3'. Seems to activate the transcription of growth-related genes. [MAX_MOUSE] Transcription regulator. Forms a sequence-specific DNA-binding protein complex with MYC or MAD which recognizes the core sequence 5'-CAC[GA]TG-3'. The MYC-MAX complex is a transcriptional activator, whereas the MAD-MAX complex is a repressor. CpG methylation of the recognition site greatly inhibits DNA binding, suggesting that DNA methylation may regulate the MYC/MAX complex in vivo. May repress transcription via the recruitment of a chromatin remodeling complex containing H3 'Lys-9' histone methyltransferase activity.
Evolutionary Conservation
Check, as determined by ConSurfDB. You may read the explanation of the method and the full data available from ConSurf.
Publication Abstract from PubMed
The oncoprotein c-Myc (a member of the helix-loop-helix-leucine zipper (b-HLH-LZ) family of transcription factors) must heterodimerize with the b-HLH-LZ Max protein to bind DNA and activate transcription. It has been shown that the LZ domains of the c-Myc and Max proteins specifically form a heterodimeric LZ at 20 degreesC and neutral pH. This suggests that the LZ domains of the c-Myc and Max proteins are playing an important role in the heterodimerization of the corresponding gene products in vivo. Initially, to gain an insight into the energetics of heterodimerization, we studied the stability of N-terminal disulfide-linked versions of the c-Myc and Max homodimeric LZs and c-Myc-Max heterodimeric LZ by fitting the temperature-induced denaturation curves monitored by circular dichroism spectroscopy. The c-Myc LZ does not homodimerize (as previously reported) and the c-Myc-Max heterodimeric LZ is more stable than the Max homodimeric LZ at 20 degreesC and pH 7.0. In order to determine the critical interhelical interactions responsible for the molecular recognition between the c-Myc and Max LZs, the solution structure of the disulfide-linked c-Myc-Max heterodimeric LZ was solved by two-dimensional 1H-NMR techniques at 25 degreesC and pH 4.7. Both LZs are alpha-helical and the tertiary structure depicts the typical left-handed super-helical twist of a two-stranded parallel alpha-helical coiled-coil. A buried salt bridge involving a histidine on the Max LZ and two glutamate residues on the c-Myc LZ is observed at the interface of the heterodimeric LZ. A buried H-bond between an asparagine side-chain and a backbone carbonyl is also observed. Moreover, evidence for e-g interhelical salt bridges is reported. These specific interactions give insights into the preferential heterodimerization process of the two LZs. The low stabilities of the Max homodimeric LZ and the c-Myc-Max heterodimeric LZ as well as the specific interactions observed are discussed with regard to regulation of transcription in this family of transcription factors.
Insights into the mechanism of heterodimerization from the 1H-NMR solution structure of the c-Myc-Max heterodimeric leucine zipper.,Lavigne P, Crump MP, Gagne SM, Hodges RS, Kay CM, Sykes BD J Mol Biol. 1998 Aug 7;281(1):165-81. PMID:9680483[1]
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
References
- ↑ Lavigne P, Crump MP, Gagne SM, Hodges RS, Kay CM, Sykes BD. Insights into the mechanism of heterodimerization from the 1H-NMR solution structure of the c-Myc-Max heterodimeric leucine zipper. J Mol Biol. 1998 Aug 7;281(1):165-81. PMID:9680483 doi:10.1006/jmbi.1998.1914
