Biomaterial Database

Molecular biology of proto-oncogenes in genitourinary cancers. 1987

D M Peehl

The application of molecular biology to oncology has allowed the recognition of altered genes in cancer cells. The DNA sequences most commonly altered belong to the family of proto-oncogenes, which are homologous to the cancer-causing genes of RNA tumor viruses. In the normal cell, proto-oncogenes apparently have important functions in regulation of growth and differentiation. When altered by mutation, deletion, translocation or amplification in cancer cells, proto-oncogenes may disrupt fundamental cellular processes. Such aberrant functioning by abnormal proto-oncogenes may play crucial and even causative roles in cancer development. Altered proto-oncogenes have been identified in cancers of the human urogenital tract. Studies on the expression of proto-oncogenes in genitourinary cells will increase understanding of basic biological properties of these cells, and may yield information relevant to staging, diagnosis, risk factors, and markers of pathologic classification.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009154	Mutation	Any detectable and heritable change in the genetic material that causes a change in the GENOTYPE and which is transmitted to daughter cells and to succeeding generations.	Mutations
D011519	Proto-Oncogenes	Normal cellular genes homologous to viral oncogenes. The products of proto-oncogenes are important regulators of biological processes and appear to be involved in the events that serve to maintain the ordered procession through the cell cycle. Proto-oncogenes have names of the form c-onc.	Proto-Oncogene,Proto Oncogene,Proto Oncogenes
D002872	Chromosome Deletion	Actual loss of portion of a chromosome.	Monosomy, Partial,Partial Monosomy,Deletion, Chromosome,Deletions, Chromosome,Monosomies, Partial,Partial Monosomies
D005784	Gene Amplification	A selective increase in the number of copies of a gene coding for a specific protein without a proportional increase in other genes. It occurs naturally via the excision of a copy of the repeating sequence from the chromosome and its extrachromosomal replication in a plasmid, or via the production of an RNA transcript of the entire repeating sequence of ribosomal RNA followed by the reverse transcription of the molecule to produce an additional copy of the original DNA sequence. Laboratory techniques have been introduced for inducing disproportional replication by unequal crossing over, uptake of DNA from lysed cells, or generation of extrachromosomal sequences from rolling circle replication.	Amplification, Gene
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014178	Translocation, Genetic	A type of chromosome aberration characterized by CHROMOSOME BREAKAGE and transfer of the broken-off portion to another location, often to a different chromosome.	Chromosomal Translocation,Translocation, Chromosomal,Chromosomal Translocations,Genetic Translocation,Genetic Translocations,Translocations, Chromosomal,Translocations, Genetic
D014565	Urogenital Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the UROGENITAL SYSTEM in either the male or the female.	Genitourinary Cancer,Genitourinary Neoplasms,Urogenital Cancer,Genito-urinary Cancer,Genito-urinary Neoplasm,Neoplasms, Genitourinary,Neoplasms, Urogenital,Cancer, Genito-urinary,Cancer, Genitourinary,Cancer, Urogenital,Cancers, Genito-urinary,Cancers, Genitourinary,Cancers, Urogenital,Genito urinary Cancer,Genito-urinary Cancers,Genito-urinary Neoplasms,Genitourinary Cancers,Genitourinary Neoplasm,Neoplasm, Genito-urinary,Neoplasm, Genitourinary,Neoplasm, Urogenital,Neoplasms, Genito-urinary,Urogenital Cancers,Urogenital Neoplasm