Neoplasia I (markers, genes, proteins) Flashcards
What is an autocrine loop?
It is a feedback mechanism produced by some cancers cells by GFs they produce.
What GFs are typical of a glioblastoma to produce?
PDGF and PDGF receptor tyrosine kinases.
What GFs are typical of a sarcoma to produce?
TGF-alpha and EDGF
Hoe are receptor tyrosine kinases activated in tumor cells?
Via point mutations, gene rearrangements and gene amplification.
What is the function of ERBB1?
It encodes EGFR, which is involved by point mutations.
They are often found in a subset of adenocarcinomas of the lung.
Mutations cause constitutive activation of EGFR tyrosine kinases.
What is the function of ERBB2?
It encodes HER2, a receptor tyrosine kinase.
The gene is amplified in certain breast carcinomas, leading to overexpression.
What is the function of ALK, in terms of lung adenocarcinomas?
It is activated by a gene rearrangement. A deletion of chr. 5 fuses with EML4 in a subset of lung adenocarcinomas resulting in a EML4-ALK fusion gene.
Which RTKs are associated with lung adenocarcinomas?
ERBB1 or ALK
Which RTKs are associated with breast carcinomas?
ERBB2 and HER2
Generally, what stimulates RAS?
It is stimulated by RTKs and two “downstream” arms, the MAPK cascade and PI3K/AKT pathway.
________ mutations in ____ family genes constitute the most common type of abnormality involving proto-oncogenes in humans.
Point mutations in the RAS family genes.
Which cancers have a high association with RAS point mutations?
90% of pancreatic adenocarcinomas and cholangiocarcinomas
50% of colon, endometrial and thyroid cancers
30% of lung adenocarcinomas and myeloid leukemias
Several distinct RAS point mutations have been identified that reduce _____ activity of the RAS protein. What does this result in?
GTPase
Results in mutated forms of RAS being trapped in the activated GTP-bound form and cell is continuously receiving pro-growth signals.
Mutations in BRAF has been associated with?
100% of hairy cell leukemias
60% of melanomas
80% of benign nevi
What is the function of BRAF?
It is a ser/thr kinase that sits atop the cascade in the MAPK family. BRAFs activation causes downstream activation of kinases and TFs.
What can be given to patients with advanced melanomas?
BRAF inhibitors, and it shows significant promise
What is the function of PTEN?
It is a tumor suppressor gene whose function is lost through mutation or epigenetic silencing in many cancers, but commonly endometrial cancers.
What is an example of a mutation in a cytosolic tyrosine kinase?
ABL
What occurs in chronic myelogenous leukemia in terms of ABL?
The ABL gene is translocated from chr 9 to chr 22 where it fuses with the BCR gene. The resulting BCR-ABL tyr kinase is highly oncogenic.
Cytosolic tyrosine kinase word association:
CML –> BCR-ABL
What is the master TF regulator of cell growth?
MYC.
It is seen in the fastest growing tumors.
What malignancy should be associated with MYC?
Burkitt lymphoma
MYC responds to the:
Immediate early response genes, which are rapidly and transiently induced by RAS/MAPK signaling following GF stimulation.
How does MYC become oncogenic? (4)
- MYC activates expression genes involved in cell growth.
- In some contexts, MYC upregulates expression of telomerase.
- MYC can reprogram somatic cells into plurioptent stem cells.
- MYC is at least partially responsible for the Warburg effect.
Which 2 MYC proteins are amplified in neuroblastomas?
NMYC and LMYC
What do gain-of-function mutations in D cyclin and CDK4 cause?
It promotes progression from G1/S phases.
Amplification of CD4 genes occurs in which cancers? (3)
Melanomas
Sarcomas
Glioblastomas
Which tumor suppressor genes encode proteins to arrest cells at G1/S?
RB
TP53
CDKIs
How many defective RB genes are required to affect cell behavior?
Germline mutations occur in which inheritance pattern?
At the individual cell level, in what way does it behave?
2
AD
AR fashion
In what 3 ways can RB function (leading to malignancy) be compromised?
- Loss of function mutations involving both alleles.
- Shift from hypophosphorylated state (active) to hyperphosphorylated state (inactive) by gain of function mutations that upregulate CDK/cyclin D activity.
- Loss of function mutations in CDKIs.
RB mutations are associted with which 2 malignancies?
Retinoblastoma and Osteosarcoma
What is the high yield theory regarding retinoblastoma?
The two hit theory, meaning both alleles must be mutated.
How does retinoblastoma develop?
When the normal RB allele is mutated in retinoblasts (second hit) along with the inherited copy of a defective gene (first hit).
In somatic cases, how does retinoblastoma occur?
Both RB alleles must undergo somatic mutations because no mutant copies are inherited.
How does HPV lead to malignancy?
It neutralizes RB by expression of E7 which binds RB with high affinity.
This does not allow RB to bind E2F TFs and inhibit them. The cell cycle is allowed to continue.