The Cell Cycle
Critical point in the cell cycle when the cell decides to enter G0 or commit to another round of cell division
G1/S transition (R-point)
The phase of the cell cycle where DNA replication takes place
S-phase
What is the term for deliberate and orderly shut down and death of the cell in the absence of an inflammatory response?
Apoptosis
What is the term for a cell that has lost the ability to divide but has not yet entered apoptosis?
Senescent
True or False? In normal human cells, a single genomic mutation is sufficient to cause cancer.
False
This is a protein that cyclin-dependent kinases must be bound in order to be activated
cyclins
This is the only cyclin whose levels are directly regulated by growth factor signaling
cyclin D
Which molecule that normally functions as part of the electron transport chain is released from mitochondria and initiates apoptosis?
cytochrome c
What is the enzyme that lengthens telomeres in embryonic stem cells and cancer cells that have achieved immortality?
telomerase
Which type of cellular respiration are cancer cells mainly dependent upon?
Glycolysis (anaerobic)
These proteins are frequent tumor suppressor genes and inhibit the activity of the cyclin-Cdk complexes
Cyclin Kinase Inhibitors (CKIs)
Hyperphosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein (RB) has what effect on its function?
Inactivation
Which molecule functions as the master regulator of halting the cell cycle when DNA damage is detected?
p53
Cells which have acquired uncontrolled proliferation but not immortality will enter which cellular state?
Crisis
What is the term for cancer cells that are capable of seeding new tumors when transplanted into another individual?
Cancer stem cells
What is the normal function of RB during the cell cycle?
Inhibition of the pro-proliferation transcription factor E2F
This important oncogene binds to E-box sequences in the promoters of 70% of human genes
Myc
Which molecule tags p53 with ubiquitin and targets it for degradation?
Mdm2
What is the structure formed by telomeres that protects chromosomal ends from DNA repair enzymes?
t-loop
Name one of the five pathways required to transform a normal human cell
Ras, P53, RB, hTERT, or PP2
Which signaling molecule and its cell surface receptor functions to halt cell cycle progression?
TGF-beta
Where do the inhibitory actions of cyclin kinase inhibitors (CKIs) take place?
The nucleus
A mutation that INACTIVATES Bcl2 will have what effect on a cell?
Pro-apoptotic
What will happen to chromosomes whose telomeres have eroded?
chromosomal fusions / genomic instability
Is inflammation pro- or anti-carcinogenic?