Centrosomes

Question 1

What are centrosomes?

Answer 1

an organelle near the nucleus of a cell which contains the centrioles (in animal cells) and from which the spindle fibres develop in cell division

Question 2

How many centrosomes should each cell have?

Answer 2

2

Question 3

What happened is there are too many centrosomes?

Answer 3

Amplified = multipolar spindles = promotes numerical chromosome instability = death/80% of cancer cells, often seen in conjunction with oncogene and TSG mutation

Question 4

What is a oncogene?

Answer 4

a gene which in certain circumstances can transform a cell into a tumour cell.

Question 5

What is heterogeneity of cancer?

Answer 5

One patient, one tumour, has many cell types = heterogeneity, makes it very hard to treat. Heterogeneity = plasticity of cancer

Question 6

What is the therapeutic opportunity in regards to centrosomes?

Answer 6

Cancer cell have the ability to cluster amplified centrosomes into 2 bundles, thus increasing chance of survival – therapeutic opportunity to stop the cancer cell from clustering the centrosomes –> force into dying state

Question 7

What is the centromere?

Answer 7

Area on a chromosome where spindle fibres attach during cell division

Question 8

What is a centriole?

Answer 8

Organelle involved in devel of spindle fibres