Tipping the MYC–MIZ1 balance: targeting the HUWE1 ubiquitin ligase selectively blocks MYC-activated genes

MYC family oncoproteins (MYC, N-MYC and L-MYC) function as basic helix-loop-helix-leucine zipper (bHLH-Zip) transcription factors that are activated (i.e., overexpressed) in well over half of all human malignancies (Boxer & Dang, 2001; Beroukhim et al, 2010). In this issue of EMBO Molecular Medicine, Eilers and colleagues (Peter et al, 2014) describe a novel approach to disable MYC, whereby inhibition of the ubiquitin ligase HUWE1 stabilizes MIZ1 and leads to the selective repression of MYC-activated target genes. See also: S Peter et al (December 2014)