Functional interactions among members of the myc superfamily and potential relevance to cutaneous growth and development

Myc family oncoproteins function as sequence-specific transcription factors that are believed to regulate the expression of genes governing cellular growth, differentiation, and programmed cell death. Activities of Myc are countered by those of Mad and Mxil, two related members of the Myc superfamily. Mad and Mxil compete with Myc for common elements and interact with putative transcriptional repressers. VThile the precise role of the Myc superfamily in cutaneous biology remains to be determined, findings from a number of organ systems suggest that the regulated expression and function of its members are intimately correlated with proper development and physiology. Reviewed here are current data on Myc superfamily function with references where relevant to cutaneous processes with the ultimate goal of providing a framework upon which these proteins can be exploited in gene therapeutic approaches for diseases of the skin, including neoplasia. Key words:.