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Signaling Defects & Cancer definitions

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  • Proto Oncogene
    Acts as a cellular green light, providing signals that promote normal and healthy cell division at an appropriate rate.
  • Tumor Suppressor Gene
    Functions as a cellular red light, providing signals that inhibit cell division and maintain controlled growth.
  • Oncogene
    A mutated gene that drives unrestrained cell growth, often resulting in cancer due to loss of normal regulatory control.
  • Ras
    A monomeric G protein frequently mutated in cancer, whose active form stimulates cell growth via biosignaling pathways.
  • GTPase Activity
    Intrinsic function of certain proteins that inactivates them by converting GTP to GDP, crucial for regulating cell growth signals.
  • Phosphatase
    Enzyme that removes phosphate groups, reversing kinase activity and terminating signals to inhibit cell growth.
  • Signal Transduction
    Series of molecular events triggered by ligand binding, leading to changes in gene expression and cellular responses.
  • Transcription Factor
    Protein that enters the nucleus and influences the transcription of specific genes, affecting cell growth and division.
  • Ligand
    Molecule that binds to a receptor, initiating a cascade of signaling events within the cell.
  • Receptor
    Cell surface protein that detects external signals and activates intracellular signaling pathways.
  • Kinase
    Enzyme that adds phosphate groups to proteins, often activating signaling pathways that promote cell growth.
  • DNA
    Genetic material in the nucleus, whose transcription is regulated by signaling pathways to control cell division.
  • Transcription
    Process by which genetic information from DNA is copied into RNA, regulated by signaling defects in cancer.
  • Cell Proliferation
    Increase in cell number resulting from division, tightly regulated by proto oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes.
  • Mutation
    Alteration in genetic sequence that can transform normal regulatory genes into cancer-promoting forms.