Mental Health Research Center, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow.
We have demonstrated that the 50 N-terminal amino acids of c-Myc bind a kinase activity, which phosphorylates Myc in vitro predominantly on Thr8. We also have shown that c-Raf, a widely known Ser/Thr kinase, involved in the Ras signaling pathway, binds to the same portion of c-Myc in vitro. In addition we were able to precipitate native c-Myc/Raf complex from various cell lysates. Physical interaction of Myc and Raf may potentially be a part of their well-known functional cooperation.