Cancer Genetics

Question 1

Benign

Answer 1

Tumor cells remain localized

Can become cancerous via additional mutations

Question 2

Malignant

Answer 2

tumor cells invade other tissues

can spread to distant sites via metastasis

Question 3

Retinoblastoma

Answer 3

cancer of the eye

inherited predisposition increases the chances of one or two eyes being effected

Question 4

DNA Damaging agents from environment

Answer 4

UV light, cigarette smoke, industrial waste, car exhaust

Question 5

Cell Cycle Control

Answer 5

Mechanisms exist to ensure that cell numbers remain balanced

Question 6

Progression of one stage of the cell cycle to the next depends on

Answer 6

protein complexes consisting of cyclin and a cyclin dependent protein kinase

Question 7

Protein kinases job

Answer 7

phosphorylate (add a phorphorus group) specific proteins

Question 8

Cyclin controls what for CDK?

Answer 8

What protein the CDK will phophorylate

Question 9

Phosphorylation is capable of doing what to proteins (2 things)

Answer 9

activating a protein or inactivating a protein

Question 10

Why would we inhibit the kinase activity of the CDK

Answer 10

the cell is not ready to enter into the next cycle

Question 11

Proto-oncogenes

Answer 11

promote cellular growth when the receive the appropriate signal

Question 12

Dominant oncogenes

Answer 12

mutant proto-oncogenes that promote cell growth without the signal
discovered in viruses

Question 13

A signaling molecule is released from ___ and what does it interact with?

Answer 13

one cell and it interacts with a receptor on another cell

Question 14

In signal transduction what happens once the receptor on the cell is activated?

Answer 14

activates a cytoplasmic protein in the signaling pathway

Question 15

GDP bound

Answer 15

inactive

will not increase cellular proliferation signal

Question 16

GTP bound

Answer 16

active

will increase cellular proliferation signal

Question 17

G-proteins cycle between

Answer 17

GDP bound (inactive) and GTP bound (active) forms

Question 18

GEF

Answer 18

guanine nucleotide exchange factor

The active G-protein eventually leads to activation of transcription factors– change gene expression

Question 19

Ras mutations

Answer 19

always in the GTP bound form

continuous increase in cell proliferation signal

Question 20

Tumor Suppressor Genes

Answer 20

normally inhibit cellular proliferation

doesn’t allow cell proliferation signal to progress

Question 21

Tumor Suppressor mutation

Answer 21

if there is a mutation in both TS genes you can get cell proliferation in the absence of a signal

Question 22

Loss of the WT allele via deletion causes

Answer 22

loss of tumor suppressor activity

Question 23

Apoptosis

Answer 23

elimination of damaged cells through a self-destruct and disposal mechanism

Question 24

Activation of apoptosis leads to

Answer 24

chromosomal fragmentation, disruption of organelle structure and loss of normal cell shape

Question 25

Cancer is caused by multiple mutations in a single cell that causes it to

Answer 25

proliferate out of control
decrease its susceptibility to apoptosis
increase the general mutation rate of the cell

Question 26

P53 job

Answer 26

prevents progression of the cell cycle until DNA is repaired and activates apoptosis

Question 27

If P53 is not functional

Answer 27

cell division proceeds in the absence of DNA repair

Question 28

Xeroderma Pigmentosum

Answer 28

autosomal recessive predisposition to skin cancer caused by a mutation in the general excision repair gene

Question 29

Telomerase mutation

Answer 29

in normal cells the ends of the chromosome are not able to replicate (they eventually get too short and die), a mutation in the telomeres can lead to the continuous addition of ends that CAN replicate

Question 30

Angiogenesis

Answer 30

growth of new blood vessels to supply oxygen and nutrients to cancer tissues

Question 31

Metastasis

Answer 31

spread of cancer from the primary tumor

causes of 90% of cancer deaths

Question 32

Chronic Myeloid Leukemia is a translocation between

Answer 32

chromosomes 22 and 9- Philadelphia chromosome

Question 33

BCR-cABL fusion protein

Answer 33

continuously increases its cellular growth signal because kinase is always active

Question 34

Gleevac

Answer 34

inhibits the kinase activity of this fusion kinase (great clinical success in curing CML)

Question 35

CML is what type of cancer

Answer 35

bone marrow

Question 36

Burkitt Lymphoma is what type of cancer

Answer 36

B lymphocyte cancer

Question 37

Helicobacter pylori

Answer 37

ulcers and stomach cancer

chronic infection leads to continuous cell division to repair the ulceration

Question 38

HPV and cervical cancer

Answer 38

Gardasil vaccine protects against 4 types of HPV