Abstract
Author(s): Lance R.Thomas and William P.Tansey
MYC proteins are a family of oncogene-encoded transcriptional regulators that feature prominently in cancer. They areaberrantlyexpressedinamajorityofhumanmalignancies,andderivetheirextraordinaryoncogenicpotentialfromtheability to control expression of genes linked to cell growth, proliferation, metabolism, and genomic instability. MYC proteins are also highly-validatedtargetsforanti-cancertherapies.Over30yearsofresearchintoMYChasrevealedtheimportanceofchromatin in regulating both the production of MYC proteins and their ability to recognize target genes and to function as modulators of transcription.Here,wereviewcontemporaryunderstandingoftheMYC–chromatinconnection,focusingonhowtheencasement of DNA into chromatin impacts expression of MYC genes, and how MYC responds to and modulates chromatin to exert its transcriptional eï¬ects. We also describe ways in which chromatin structure and function are being manipulated by drug-like moleculestoinhibitMYC-drivencancers.
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