Growth control genes

TABLE 1 Major growth control genes in the mouse... 

A number of tumors arise from recessive mutations in which the mutations appear to be in growth-control genes. 

Four major types of genetic alterations that affect growth-controlling genes have been identified in neoplastic cells and are the basis of human cancers. 

PCR can provide valuable diagnostic information in medicine. Bacteria and viruses can be readily detected with the use of specific primers. For example, PCR can reveal the presence of human immunodeficiency virus in people who have not mounted an immune response to this pathogen and would therefore be missed with an antibody assay. Finding Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli in tissue specimens is slow and laborious. With PCR, as few as 10 tubercle bacilli per million human cells can be readily detected. PCR is a promising method for the early detection of certain cancers. This technique can identify mutations of certain growth-control genes, such as the ras genes (Section 15.4 2). The... 

Specific Biological Growth and Growth Control Gene Sets and Their Pathways... 

BRCA1 contains a transactivating domain and appears to activate the transcription of essential growth-controlling genes like the genes for the transcription factor c-... 

JAKs and signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) are functionally analogous with IRS and PI3K. JAKs are physically associated with a cell surface receptor (e.g. for leptin, erythropoietin (EPO), growth factors or cytokines) STATs are free monomeric proteins within the cytosol but following phosphorylation by a JAK, individual proteins dimerize and then move into the nucleus of the cell where they control gene expression. 

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