Genetics of Cancer Flashcards
Name 6 altered physiology and behaviour of cancer cells [7]
- Angiogenesis
- Upregulation of proteases and cytoskeletal proteins: allow invasion and migration
- Telomere is protected from damage
- Uncontrolled growth
- Unresponsiveness to growth-inhibitory signals
- Increase in anti- apoptotic pathways and decrease in pro- apoptotic pathways
- Defects in DNA repair proteins so mutations are not corrected
What are the Eight Hallmarks of Cancer
- Self-sufficiency in growth signals
- Insensitivity to anti-growth signals
- Evading apoptosis
- Limitless reproductive potential
- Sustained angiogenesis
- Tissue invasion and metastasis
- Deregulating cellular energetics
- Avoiding immune detection
What are the 3 main groups of genes implicated in cancer? [3]
Oncogenes
Tumour suppressor genes Two types:
* Gatekeepers (regulate cell cycle)
* Care takers (DNA repair)
State whether oncogenes and tumour supressor genes are activated by a single or double mutation [2]
Oncogene: single mutation
Tumour supressor genes: double mutation
Most cancer cells arise from:
- Sporadic mutations
- Hereditary
Most cancer cells arise from:
Sporadic mutations
Which type of genes regulate cell growth? [1]
How? [1]
Proto-oncogenes encode proteins which control cell growth and cell division
Tightly regulated: switched on and off
Explain how proto-oncogene causes normal growth [2]
GF bind to tyrosine-kinase receptor (transmembrane protein)
Activates cell signalling and leads to growth on / off via the activation of:
- Growth factors (signalling proteins)
- Receptors (e.g. tyrosine kinase receptors
- Intracellular signalling proteins e.g. kinases
- Transcription factors
- Anti-apoptotic proteins
What are the five categories of proto-oncogenes? [5]
- Growth factors (signalling proteins)
- Receptors (e.g. tyrosine kinase receptors
- Intracellular signalling proteins e.g. kinases
- Transcription factors
- Anti-apoptotic proteins
Name two important cell growth pathways
MAPK pathway
PI3 Kinase pathway
Explain how normal proto-oncogenes cause normal cell signalling
- growth factor binds to receptor. two receptors interact (dimerization)
- intracelllar side: phosphorylation of tyrosine
- signalling proteins bind to P-tyrosine
- causes cascade of phosphorylation events
- activates two pathways: MAPK pathway and PI3 Kinase Pathway
- once pathways are activated, activate gene expression and transcription factors occur.
Activation of MAPK pathway causes which cell processes to occur? [2]
PROLIFERATION
APOPTOSIS REGULATION
Activation of PI3 Kinase pathway causes which cell processes to occur? [2]
CELL GROWTH PROLIFERATION
ANGIOGENESIS AND METABOLISM
HER2 Receptor is what type of receptor?
GPCR
Enzyme-linked
Nucleus binding
Tyrosine-kinase
HER2 Receptor is what type of receptor?
GPCR
Enzyme-linked
Nucleus binding
Tyrosine-kinase
What causes constitute phosphorylation of MAPK / PI3 kinase pathways? [1]
What is the effect of this? [1]
P added
Genes continually switched on