Fig. 3
Schematic diagram of N-Myc mediated gene overexpression in aggressive neuroblastoma. Neuroblastoma is a rare pediatric cancer that develops in the nervous system of infants and children. It affects immature nerve tissue (neuroblasts) in the adrenal glands. The MYCN gene is amplified in multiple neuronal and nonneuronal tumors.139 Among these, its amplification, which encodes the N-Myc transcription factor, is a key prognostic factor in neuroblastoma. N-Myc binds to available promoters containing the TATA box with the help of WDR5, a conserved regulator of gene expression.142 Binding upregulates canonical Myc target genes (e.g., ALK), activating and promoting RNA polymerase II (Pol II), driving oncogenic gene expression and cell proliferation. Transcription factors PHOX2B, HAND2 and GATA3 support N-Myc’s binding to the super-enhancers and promoter,131 and subsequent gene expression. Super-enhancers are formed by multiple enhancers. The gray area represents the mediator complex, which regulates transcription by connecting enhancers to promoters