Cell-to-cell variability in Myc dynamics drives transcriptional heterogeneity in cancer cells

Cell-to-cell heterogeneity is vital for tumor evolution and survival. How cancer cells achieve and exploit this heterogeneity remains an active area of research. Here we identify c-Myc as a highly heterogeneously expressed transcription factor, and an orchestrator of transcriptional and phenotypic diversity in cancer cells. By monitoring endogenous c-Myc protein in individual living cells, we uncovered the surprising pulsatile nature of c-Myc expression and the extensive cell-to-cell variability in its dynamics. We further demonstrated that heterogeneity in c-Myc dynamics leads to variable target gene transcription, and that timing of c-Myc expression predicts cell-cycle progression rates and drug sensitivities. Together, our data advocates for a model in which cancer cells increase the heterogeneity of functionally diverse transcription factors such as c-Myc to rapidly survey transcriptional landscapes and survive stress.EGA study EGAS00001007091