Genome instability and checkpoints

Question 1

What do checkpoints do?

Answer 1

Ensure dependency events occur in the cell cycle and ensure viability when cells experience genomic stress

Question 2

What are 5 key mutations involved in the development of an invasive carcinoma?

Answer 2

• Loss of APC (leads to hyperplastic epithelium)
• DNA hypomethylation (leads to early adenoma)
• activation of K ras (leads to intermediate adenoma)
• loss of 18q t.s gene (SMAD4) (leads to late stage adenoma)
• loss of P53 (leads to carcinoma)

Question 3

What does a cancer genome landscape show you?

Answer 3

All of the mutations it has acquired
on average- 80 mutations per cancerous cell
15 common mutations stick out

Question 4

What are driver mutations?

Answer 4

Mutations which happen early on in cancer development and are very common