DNA sequencing and gel imaging is provided the by Departmental Core Facility. Myb Oncogene Protein Partnerships Members of the Myb gene family have been identified in a variety of eukaryotes including plants, yeast, Drosophila, Xenopus, and humans. In humans, high levels of Myb expression are found in proliferating immature leukocytes, erythrocytes, myocytes and neurons. The identification of these elements in the promoters of cell cycle, cytokine and viral genes reinforces the role of c-Myb as a conduit for signals that determine cellular fate. Currently, antisense oligonucleotides are being used in clinical studies to downregulate the abnormally high levels of Myb expression observed leukemias, neuroblastomas and carcinomas of the colon, ovary and breast.
Many regulatory processes converge on the DNA binding domain.
The Myb DNA binding domain also provides a binding surface for Cyp-40. Other protein domains interact both intramolecularly and intermolecularly with the Myb DNA binding domain to repress its activity. I am also interested in elucidating the structures of relevant repressed complexes. Interesting, a few key mutations in v-Myb, the viral, oncogenic form on Myb, allow the DNA binding domain to evade these repressive mechanisms. This 70 residue motif has been most characterized in signalling proteins and is implicated in mediating homotypic and heterotypic protein-protein interactions.