Oncogenes

Question 1

Soft Agar Assay for Colony Formation

Answer 1

3D culture of cells in soft agar medium for 21-28 days as test for malignancy.

Tests for anchorage independence.

Question 2

Nude mice

Answer 2

Nude mice carry an autosomal recessive mutation in the nu allele (Foxn1) on chromosome 11 that abolishes proper thymus development and also renders the mice without hair. Have no functional T cells but B cells are normal.

Question 3

SCID mice

Answer 3

Severe Combined Immunodeficiency. Autosomal or X-linked recessive. Without bone marrow transplant, fatal by age 1-2 in humans.

Mutations in RAG-1 or RAG-2 are typical. Cause loss of formation of both T and B lymphocytes.

Question 4

Xenograft testing

Answer 4

Tumors may be transferred to Nude or SCID mice, who do not reject grafts, to see if they grow in this context.

Question 5

HER family RTKs

Answer 5