Firefox, a protein encoded by circular RNA circPVT1, is essential for MYC-driven oncogenesis
What this study shows
A micropeptide (Firefox/FFX) encoded by the circular RNA circPVT1 stimulates AKT-mTORC1 signaling and cap-dependent translation to sustain MYC protein abundance and transcriptional output. FFX depletion reduces MYC levels and impairs tumor growth in MYC-amplified xenograft models, identifying an mTORC1-linked vulnerability in MYC-driven cancers.
At a glance
| Evidence type | M Molecular — cells, biochemistry, structure Marked M because it is molecular or in-vitro work (model: Human MYC-amplified cancer cell lines; xenograft mouse models) rather than a whole-organism health-outcome study. That is often exactly where causal biology gets established -- the code says which system the finding was shown in, and nothing about how good the work is. |
| Study type | 5 - Mechanistic / In Vitro |
| Model system | Human MYC-amplified cancer cell lines; xenograft mouse models |
| Journal | Genes & Development |
| Year | 2026 |
| Peer reviewed | Yes |
| Record last updated | 2026-08-22 |
| Source | DOI 10.1101/gad.353355.125 · PMID 42618323 |
In the Atlas
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