proto-oncogene

(noun)

a gene that promotes the specialization and division of normal cells that becomes an oncogene following mutation

Related Terms

  • cancer
  • oncogene
  • mutation

Examples of proto-oncogene in the following topics:

  • Proto-oncogenes

    • Proto-oncogenes normally regulate cell division, but can be changed into oncogenes through mutation, which may cause cancers to form.
    • The genes that code for the positive cell cycle regulators are called proto-oncogenes.
    • Proto-oncogenes are normal genes that, when mutated in certain ways, become oncogenes: genes that cause a cell to become cancerous.
    • There are several ways by which a proto-oncogene can be converted into an oncogene .
    • The Cdk gene in the above example is only one of many genes that are considered proto-oncogenes.
  • Altered Gene Expression in Cancer

    • Another type of gene often deregulated in cancers are proto-oncogenes which are positive cell-cycle regulators.
    • When mutated, proto-oncogenes can become oncogenes and cause cancer .
    • Overexpression of the oncogene can lead to uncontrolled cell growth because oncogenes can alter transcriptional activity, stability, or protein translation of another gene that directly or indirectly controls cell growth.
    • An example of an oncogene involved in cancer is a protein called myc.
    • When mutated, proto-oncogenes can become oncogenes and cause cancer due to uncontrolled cell growth.
  • Cancer and Transcriptional Control

    • Many transcription factors, especially some that are proto-oncogenes or tumor suppressors, help regulate the cell cycle and, as such, determine how large a cell will get and when it can divide into two daughter cells .
    • Transcription factors, especially some that are proto-oncogenes or tumor suppressors, help regulate the cell cycle; however, when regulation gives rise to cancer cells, then transcriptional control of gene expression is affected.
  • Tumor Suppressor Genes

    • Like proto-oncogenes, many of the negative cell cycle regulatory proteins were discovered in cells that had become cancerous.
    • Cells such as these daughter cells quickly accumulate both oncogenes and non-functional tumor suppressor genes.
  • Lung Cancer

    • Similar to many other cancers, lung cancer is initiated by activation of oncogenes or inactivation of tumor suppressor genes.
    • Mutations in the K-ras proto-oncogene are responsible for 10–30% of lung adenocarcinomas.
  • DNA Oncogenic Viruses

  • RNA Oncogenic Viruses

    • Viruses which contain RNA for their genetic material but do include DNA intermediates in their life cycle are called "retroviruses. " There are numerous RNA oncogenic viruses that have been linked to various cancer types.
    • These various oncogenic viruses include:
  • Cell Signaling and Cell Growth

    • The genes that regulate the signaling proteins are one type of oncogene: a gene that has the potential to cause cancer.
    • The gene encoding RAS is an oncogene that was originally discovered when mutations in the RAS protein were linked to cancer.
    • Cancer biologists have been able to identify many other oncogenes that contribute to the development of cancer.
  • Vase Painting in the Orientalizing Period

    • Pottery produced during the Orientalizing Period across the Isthmus of Corinth in Athens is known as Proto-Attic.
    • The Proto-Attic style marked the first depictions of discernibly Greek religious and mythological themes in vase painting.
    • Proto-Attic vases are usually distinguished by orange clay available in the Athens area.
    • This detail from Proto-Attic amphora shows the outline- and silhouette-based forms in which the human body was depicted at the time, as well as the orange clay available to Attic ceramicists.
  • Overview of Cancer

    • Oncogenes are genes that promote cell growth and reproduction, such as the gene MYC.
    • Malignant transformation can occur through the formation of novel oncogenes, the inappropriate over-expression of normal oncogenes, or by the under-expression or disabling of tumor suppressor genes.
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