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Title: Distinct nuclear arrangement of active and inactive c-myc genes in control and differentiated colon carcinoma cells

Journal Article · · Experimental Cell Research
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [1]
  1. Laboratory of Molecular Cytology and Cytometry, Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Kralovopolska 135, 612 65 Brno (Czech Republic)
  2. Institute of Experimental Biology, Department of Animal Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Sciences, Masaryk University Brno, Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno (Czech Republic)

Using sequential RNA-DNA fluorescence in situ hybridization, the nuclear arrangement of both the active and inactive c-myc gene as well as its transcription was investigated in colon cancer HT-29 cells induced to differentiate into enterocytes. Cytogenetic studies revealed the presence of two chromosomes 8 in HT-29 cells, of which the one containing c-myc gene amplicons was substantially larger and easily distinguished from the normal chromosome. This observation enabled detection of both activity and nuclear localization of c-myc genes in single cells and in individual chromosome territories. Similar transcriptional activity of the c-myc gene was observed in both the normal and derivative chromosome 8 territories showing no influence of the amplification on the c-myc gene expression. Our experiments demonstrate strikingly specific nuclear and territorial arrangements of active genes as compared with inactive ones: on the periphery of their territories facing to the very central region of the cell nucleus. Nuclear arrangement of c-myc genes and transcripts was conserved during cell differentiation and, therefore, independent of the level of differentiation-specific c-myc gene expression. However, after the induction of differentiation, a more internal territorial location was found for the single copy c-myc gene of normal chromosome 8, while amplicons conserved their territorial topography.

OSTI ID:
20858062
Journal Information:
Experimental Cell Research, Vol. 312, Issue 20; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2006.09.007; PII: S0014-4827(06)00366-1; Copyright (c) 2006 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0014-4827
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English