Cellular Growth Regulation Flashcards
What are the general considerations for cell growth?
- Growth of a cell population
- Growth at cellular level (cell cycle)
- Loss of cells via apoptosis
What are the 2 ways a cell population can grow?
Distinguish between:
- increase in cell numbers (hyperplasia)
- increase in cell size (hypertrophy)
What is the growth of a cell population dependent upon?
Depends on integration of intra- and extracellular signals (checks on cellular physiology, growth and inhibitory factors, cell adhesion etc.)
What is cell growth?
Cell growth = increase in size (sometimes growth refers to this only) and cell division
What are the phases of the cell cycle?
Cell cycle phases (G1, S, G2, and M)
How is the cell cycle mediated?
Progression controlled at three key checkpoints (restriction points)
What is apoptosis?
A coordinated program of cell dismantling ending in phagocytosis
Distinct from necrosis
When does apoptosis occur?
Occurs during normal development (e.g. separation of the digits, involution, immune and nervous system development)
And in response to DNA damage and viral infectio
Outline the role of growth factors, cytokines and interleukins
These are proteins that:
- Stimulate proliferation (called mitogens) and maintain
survival - Stimulate differentiation and inhibit proliferation e.g.
TGFβ - Induce apoptosis e.g. TNFα and other members of the
TNF family
How are proliferation stimulating proteins named?
Usually named after originally identified target
e.g.
EGF, FGF, Interleukins (IL2 & IL4), NGF
but see also:
PDGF (platelet-derived GF) IGF1 (Insulin-like GF – the main effector of pituitary growth hormone)
What are the broad 3 classes of growth factors, interleukins and cytokines?
- paracrine
- autocrine
- endocrine
What is meant by paracrine?
Paracrine: produced locally to stimulate proliferation of a different cell type that has the appropriate cell surface receptor
What are endocrine signlas?
Endocrine: like conventional hormones, released systemically for distant effects
What is meant by autocrine signalling?
Autocrine: produced by a cell that also expresses the appropriate cell surface receptor
What is the effect of PDGF on the cell cycle?
PDGF - platelet derived growth factor
PDGF presence: Cells start entering cell cycle and proliferating
PDGF no longer available: cells stop dividing = plateau
What is the role of TGFβ in the cell cycle?
TGFβ - transforming growth factor beta
Causes proliferation and induction into cell cycle
How does TNF𝛼 effect the cell cycle?
TNF𝛼 - Tumor necrosis Factor
Eventually cells receive death signal and enter apoptosis
Cell no. decreases
Outline what occurs during interphase of the cell cycle
Cells grow in size as most macromolecules are synthesized continuously throughout interphase
Occurs after mitosis
When do cells enter G0 phase?
When cells don’t receive FGF they become quiescent cells
How do quiescent cells re-enter the cell cycle?
Re enter cell cycle when exposed to growth factors
How can we identify the no. of cells present during the cell cycle?
Use Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorter Analysis of Cell DNA Content
How does Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorter Analysis of Cell DNA Content work?
Cell DNA labelled with a fluorescent dye
The dye is read by a laser which tells us the DNA content present ∴ cell no.
What result would fluorescence show for cells that grow slow
Cells that grow slowly will show a higher G1 peak as most cells are still in that phase
For fast growing cells, what would the fluorescence results show?
Fast cell division will have less cells in the G1 phase as the cells are progressing through the cell cycle
Outline the stages of DNA replication
- DNA replicated semiconservatively
(daughter cells inherit one parental and one new strand) - New DNA synthesized in 5’-3’ direction from
deoxynucleotide triphosphate precursors at a replication
fork by a multienzyme complex (a replication machine) - Fidelity is determined by base pairing (A=T, G≡C) and
presence of a proof reading enzyme in DNA polymerase - Synthesis of new DNA strand uses an RNA primer and
occurs continuously on leading strand and
discontinuously on trailing strand
(giving rise to Okazaki fragments, which are ligated
together after removal of the RNA primer)
What are the main stages of Mitosis?
1. Prophase prometaphase 2. Metaphase 3. Anaphase 4. Telophase
Cytokinesis
Explain what happens during prophase
Nucleus becomes less definite
Microtubular spindle apparatus assembles
Centrioles migrate to poles
What happens in prometaphase?
The nuclear membrane breaks down
Kinetochores attach to spindle in nuclear region
Describe the events of Metaphase?
Chromosomes align in the equatorial plane
Explain what occurs during anaphase
Chromatids separate and migrate to opposite poles
What happens during telophase?
Daughter nuclei form
What is cytokinesis?
Division of cytoplasm
chromosomes decondense