c-Myc: Where Death and Division Collide

Abstract

c-Myc is intimately involved in cell proliferation. However, inappropriate activation of c-Myc may also promote or sensitize cells to apoptosis. This is well established for several cell types and has been reinforced by a recent report in Cell Death and Differentiation by de Alboran and colleagues, who report that c-Myc-deficient B cells are resistant to several apoptotic stimuli, supporting a role for c-Myc in modulating B lymphocyte cell death. Here, we integrate these findings into the current picture of how c-Myc participates in cell death control.