Coexpression of the myc gene family members in human neuroblastoma cell lines

Abstract

Members of the myc oncogene family such as c, N-, and L-myc are expressed in many malignant tumors. Expression of c-, N-, and L-myc oncogenes in 7 human neuroblastoma cell lines (GOTO, IMR-32, TGW, SCCH-26, TNB 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 protein 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, coexpression of three myc genes was detected in all neuroblastoma cell lines tested. c-and L-myc expression were observed that anti pan-Myc antibody recognizes c-Myc and N-Myc proteins but not L-Myc. These results indicate that neuroblastoma cells may acquire an aberrant transcriptional control system in myc family gene expression.