COEXPRESSION OF THE MYC GENE FAMILY MEMBERS IN HUMAN NEUROBLASTOMA CELL-LINES

Members of the myc oncogene family such as c-, N-, and L-myc are expre ssed in many malignant tumors. Expression of c-, N-, and L-myc oncogen es in 7 human neuroblastoma cell lines (GOTO, IMR-32, TGW, SCCH-26, TN B 9, NBL-S, and SK-N-SH), a human small cell lung carcinoma SBC-5 cell line, and a human monocytic leukemia THP-1-S cell line at mRNA and pr otein levels was studied to know the specificity of a newly developed antibody against homologous region at C-terminus of N-Myc, designated as anti pan-Myc antibody. By RT-PCR and immunoblot analysis, coexpress ion of three myc genes was detected in all neuroblastoma cell lines te sted, c- and L-myc expression were observed in SBC-5; only c-myc was e xpressed in THP-1-S. An immunoprecipitation study revealed that anti p an-Myc antibody recognizes c-Myc and N-Myc proteins but not L-Myc. The se results indicate that neuroblastoma cells may acquire an aberrant t ranscriptional control system in myc family gene expression.