The Notch1/c-Myc pathway in T cell leukemia.

The Notch receptor family and its ligands (Delta-like and Jagged) have been found deregulated in several human cancers. We and the Aster/Pear group recently identified c-myc as a direct transcriptional target gene of the Notch1 pathway in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). Although the oncogenic roles of c-Myc and Notch1 are established, a direct link between Notch1 and c-Myc had not been demonstrated. Importantly, our work in mouse tal1 tumor cell lines revealed that leukemic growth/survival remains dependent on the Notch1-c-Myc pathway. Studies by the Efstratiadis group provide genetic evidence that the Notch1-c-Myc pathway also contributes to mouse mammary tumorigenesis. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that Notch1 mediates T cell and epithelial cell transformation at least in part by sustaining c-Myc lev.