Part:BBa_K2689003
Omomyc
Omomyc is a dominant-negative mutant of Myc, a family of proto-oncogenes encoding for transcription factors which regulate growth, proliferation, tumorgenesis, and apoptosis. Myc dimerizes with Max over its basic helix-loop-helix zipper domain. This heterodimer then binds to the DNA enhancer box (E-Box) sequence and thus regulates the expression of corresponding genes. In cancer Myc often is constitutively expressed, leading to increased proliferation signals and thus to excessive tumor growth.
Omomyc possesses a mutated basic helix-loop-helix zipper domain, in which 4 amino acids were exchanged: S57T, E64I, R70Q and R71N. These mutations lead to an altered dimerization behavior of the protein. Omomyc efficiently forms homodimers and furthermore also forms heterodimers with wild-type Myc, leading to a decreased formation of Myc/Max dimers. Accordingly, Omomyc works as a suppressor of Myc/Max binding to E-box elements and leads to a suppressed activation of artificial E-box promoter elements. In the past it was shown that Omomyc can selectively trigger apoptosis in cells overexpressing Myc, however the exact mechanism remains unclear. Researchers proposed that this happens through the transcriptional repression of specific genes.
Through its ability to induce apoptosis in cells overexpressing Myc, as various cancers do, Omomyc may be subject to new therapeutic opportunities in the future.
Sequence and Features
- 10COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[10]
- 12COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[12]
- 21COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[21]
- 23COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[23]
- 25COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[25]
- 1000COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[1000]
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