Characterization and Nuclear Localization of the v- and c-myc Proteins

Both the human c-myc protooncogene and its avian retroviral counterpart, v-myc, have been associated with the malignant phenotype (Bishop 1983). In particular, alterations of the human c-myc gene, whether by translocation or amplification, have been associated with a wide range of human neoplasms (Yokota et al. 1986; Leder et al. 1983). Both proteins are known to be located in the cell nucleus and have been shown to bind to DNA in in vitro assays (Eisenman et al. 1985; Persson and Leder 1984; Watt et al. 1985). However the functions of the v- and c-myc proteins are still unknown.