7: Oncogenes and Tumor Suppressor Genes Lecture Notes

Flashcards covering vocabulary related to oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes.

Oncogenes

Genes that have the potential to cause cancer, often derived from normal genes called proto-oncogenes.

Proto-oncogenes

Normal genes that can become oncogenes if mutated or expressed at high levels.

Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV)

An RNA virus that can cause cancer in chickens by carrying the oncogene v-src.

Insertional mutagenesis

A mechanism by which a virus integrates into the host genome and activates proto-oncogenes, leading to cancer.

Tumour suppressor genes

Genes that normally prevent cancer; when mutated or lost, they can lead to increased risk of cancer.

Loss of heterozygosity (LOH)

The loss of one allele at a locus, leading to the expression of a recessive trait and potential development of cancer.

Retinoblastoma

A rare childhood cancer that can be sporadic (unilateral) or familial (bilateral), illustrating the two-hit hypothesis.

v-src

A viral oncogene derived from a normal chicken proto-oncogene that can transform normal cells into cancer cells.

p53

A tumor suppressor gene involved in regulating the cell cycle, DNA repair, and apoptosis.

BRCA1/2

Tumor suppressor genes involved in DNA repair and linked to breast and ovarian cancer.