Abstract
In order to understand the c- myc implication in the apoptotic process better, we investigated the influence of ZnCl 2 on its expression in normal and transformed Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) cells in relation to apoptosis induced by serum withdrawal. Normal primary SHE cells exposed to a serum-free medium undergo rapid apoptosis characterised by a dramatic down-regulation of c- myc transcription. In these normal cells treated with ZnCl 2, c- myc expression is maintained in serum-starved conditions while apoptosis is inhibited. The results shed light on the involvement of c- myc expression in the survival of normal cells in the absence of growth factors. The regulation of c- myc expression appears to be influenced by zinc treatment as an inhibitor of apoptosis, but mechanisms sustaining the level of c- myc transcription remain to be demonstrated. The hypothesis that maintenance of c- myc expression allows cells to escape apoptosis is in accordance with results in transformed SHE cells that underwent low apoptosis and poor down-regulation of c- myc in serum-deprived conditions.
Published Version
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