The fully linked HTML version of this article has now been published.
JCS ePress
online publication date 4 Mar 2003
doi: 10.1242/jcs.00370
Research Article
Accumulation of c-Myc and proteasomes at the nucleoli of cells containing elevated c-Myc protein levels
Azadeh Arabi*,
Cecilia Rustum,
Einar Hallberg,
and
Anthony P.H. Wright
* Author for correspondence (e-mail: azadeh.arabi{at}sh.se)
c-Myc is a predominately nuclear transcription factor that is a substrate for rapid turnover by the proteasome system. Cancer-related mutations in c-Myc lead to defects in its degradation and thereby contribute to the increase in its cellular level that is associated with the disease. Little is known about the mechanisms that target c-Myc to the proteasomes. By using a GFP fusion protein and live analysis we show that c-Myc shuttles between the nucleus and cytoplasm and thus it could be degraded in either compartment. Strikingly, at elevated levels of expression c-Myc accumulates at nucleoli in some cells, consistent with saturation of a nucleolus-associated degradation system in these cells. This idea is further supported by the observation that proteasome inhibitor treatment causes accumulation of c-Myc at the nucleoli of essentially all cells. Under these conditions c-Myc is relatively stably associated with the nucleolus, as would be expected if the nucleolus functions as a sequestration/degradation site for excess c-Myc. Furthermore, during elevated c-Myc expression or proteasome inhibition, nucleoli that are associated with c-Myc also accumulate proteasomes. c-Myc and proteasomes co-localise in intranucleolar regions distinct from the dense fibrillar component of the nucleolus. Based on these results we propose a model for c-Myc downregulation where c-Myc is sequestered at the nucleoli. Sequestration of c-Myc is accompanied by recruitment of proteasomes and may lead to subsequent degradation.
This article has been cited by other articles:

|
 |

|
 |
 
Z. Li, D. Boone, and S. R. Hann
Nucleophosmin interacts directly with c-Myc and controls c-Myc-induced hyperproliferation and transformation
PNAS,
December 2, 2008;
105(48):
18794 - 18799.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
K. A. Tworkowski, A. A. Chakraborty, A. V. Samuelson, Y. R. Seger, M. Narita, G. J. Hannon, S. W. Lowe, and W. P. Tansey
Adenovirus E1A targets p400 to induce the cellular oncoprotein Myc
PNAS,
April 22, 2008;
105(16):
6103 - 6108.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
D. A. Stavreva, M. Kawasaki, M. Dundr, K. Koberna, W. G. Muller, T. Tsujimura-Takahashi, W. Komatsu, T. Hayano, T. Isobe, I. Raska, et al.
Potential Roles for Ubiquitin and the Proteasome during Ribosome Biogenesis.
Mol. Cell. Biol.,
July 1, 2006;
26(13):
5131 - 5145.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
J. F. Nabhan and P. Ribeiro
The 19 S Proteasomal Subunit POH1 Contributes to the Regulation of c-Jun Ubiquitination, Stability, and Subcellular Localization
J. Biol. Chem.,
June 9, 2006;
281(23):
16099 - 16107.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
A. von Mikecz
The nuclear ubiquitin-proteasome system
J. Cell Sci.,
May 15, 2006;
119(10):
1977 - 1984.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
V. Torrano, J. Navascues, F. Docquier, R. Zhang, L. J. Burke, I. Chernukhin, D. Farrar, J. Leon, M. T. Berciano, R. Renkawitz, et al.
Targeting of CTCF to the nucleolus inhibits nucleolar transcription through a poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation-dependent mechanism
J. Cell Sci.,
May 1, 2006;
119(9):
1746 - 1759.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
T. D. Rockel, D. Stuhlmann, and A. von Mikecz
Proteasomes degrade proteins in focal subdomains of the human cell nucleus
J. Cell Sci.,
November 15, 2005;
118(22):
5231 - 5242.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
S. Zhang, P. Hemmerich, and F. Grosse
Nucleolar localization of the human telomeric repeat binding factor 2 (TRF2)
J. Cell Sci.,
August 1, 2004;
117(17):
3935 - 3945.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|
© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2003