Ets Translocation Variant 3 (ETV3)

The ETS oncogene was first described as part of a fusion gene transduced by the avian retrovirus E26. In E26, v-ets and v-myb were fused to a portion of GAG to form the transforming gene. METS blocks RAS-dependent proliferation without inhibiting RAS-dependent expression of cell type-specific genes by selectively replacing ETS activators on the promoters of cell cycle control genes. The antiproliferative effects of METS required its interaction with DP103 (DDX20), a DEAD box-containing protein that assembles a novel corepressor complex. Functional interactions between the METS/DP103 complex and E2F/RB family proteins were also necessary for inhibition of cellular proliferation, suggesting a combinatorial code that directs permanent cell cycle exit during terminal differentiation.