The Cell Cycle Flashcards
What is the different types of division?
*Cloning cells of a given type to make tissues
*Making cells of different types (differentiation) – might involve asymmetric divisions
*Making cells with half normal DNA content (meiosis)
What is the purpose of the cell cycle?
To allow a cell to reproduce
Why is the cell cycle important?
*Required for growth, development, and procreation
*High fidelity required to ensure stable inheritance of cell and organism characteristics
*Most be controlled to allow development and prevent disease
What needs to happen to carry out a cell cycle?
Chromosomes need to be duplicated
Other organelles need to copied
Cells need to grow
Chromosomes need to be segregated accurately
Cell needs to physically divide
What are the basic stages of the cell cycle?
G1: Gap 1
S: Synthesis
G2: Gap 2
M: Mitosis
G0: resting state
What is G1 ?
In the cell cycle
- Deciding if conditions are right for a full cell cycle
- Growing and preparing for DNA synthesis
What is the S phase?
Replicating DNA and centrosomes
What is the G2 phase?
Deciding if conditions are right for mitosis
What is the M phase?
Chromosome segregation and cytokinesis.
What is the G0 phase?
Cells not in the cell cycle
- Terminally differentiated cells
- Quiescent cells
- Senescent cells
What are Quiescent cells?
Quiescent cells are in an inactive stage.
Cells enter into the quiescent state due to lack of nutrition and growth factors.
What are the characteristic of Quiescent cells?
Quiescent cells are characterized by a low RNA content, lack of cell proliferation markers and increased label retention, indicating low cell turnover.
What are Senescent cells?
A senescent cell is one whose life cycle has come to a permanent end.
What drives the cell cycle?
Cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks).
What are Cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks)?
- Protein kinases that transfer a phosphate onto their substrates
- Act as “master regulators”
- Have multiple target proteins to control numerous processes in the cell cycle
How are Cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) activated?
Cdks have little activity by themselves, but they are activated by Cyclin proteins.
How do Cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) drive the cell cycle?
Cyclins influence the substrate specificity of Cdks.
When are G1/S-cyclin levels at their highest?
G1 phase.
When are S-cyclin levels at their highest?
G1 to M phase.
When are M-cyclin levels at their highest?
G2 to M phase.
What are some Additional Cdk regulators?
Upstream kinases
Phosphate
Cdk inhibitory proteins (CKIs)
What did Yoshio Masui discover in 1971?
Identified a cytoplasmic factor (MPF) that could induce cell division in frog oocytes
What did Leland Hartwell discover in 1974?
Conducted screens in budding yeast that identified Cell Division Cycle (cdc) mutants including Cdk1 (Cdc28)
What did Sir Paul Nurse discover in 1987?
Identified and characterised Cdk1 (Cdc2) in fission yeast, and cloned human Cdk1 by complementation