Paper

Survey of activation-induced genome architecture reveals a novel enhancer of Myc

Smyth, Gordon, Keenan, Christine R, Wing Fuk Chan, Kueh, Andrew J, Alvarado, Carolina, Iannarella, Nadia, Ruhle, Michelle, Groom, Joanna R, Wheatley, Adam K, Coughlan, Hannah D, Allan, Rhys S, Johanson, Timothy M

2022

Overview

The transcription factor Myc is critically important in driving cell proliferation, a function that is frequently dysregulated in cancer. To avoid this dysregulation Myc is tightly controlled by numerous layers of regulation. One such layer is the use of distal regulatory enhancers to drive Myc expression. Here, using chromosome conformation capture to examine B cells of the immune system in the first hours after their activation, we reveal a previously unidentified enhancer of myc. The interactivity of this enhancer coincides with a dramatic, but discrete, spike in Myc expression 3 hours post-activation. However, genetic deletion of this region, has little impact on Myc expression, Myc protein level or in vitro and in vivo cell proliferation. Examination of the enhancer deleted regulatory landscape suggests that enhancer redundancy likely sustains Myc expression. This work highlights not only the importance of temporally examining enhancers, but also the complexity and dynamics of the regulation of critical genes such as Myc. Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. Footnotes * New figures have been added because they were not ok in the first submission

• Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press,Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
• Subject: Cell growth / Cell proliferation / Chromosomes / Enhancers / Gene regulation / Genetics / Genomes / Immune system / Kinases / Lymphocytes B / Myc protein / Regulation