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oncogene Definition

on·co·gene (äŋkə jēn′)

noun

any of various genes that, when activated as by radiation or a virus, may cause a normal cell to become cancerous

Etymology: < Gr onkos, mass + gene

oncogene Related Forms
on′·co·gen·ic (-jenik) adjective
oncogene Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • call: A change in the DNA causes a special gene called an oncogene to be switched on.
  • activate: No single activated oncogene can be detected in a transformation assay.
  • identify: We are collaborating on an exhaustive molecular characterisation of cancer cell lines to identify novel oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in ovarian cancer.
  • know: Investigation showed the retroviral vector used to load a gene into bone marrow cells had inadvertently carried its DNA into a known oncogene.
  • study: Gene therapy Scientists are studying oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes.
  • express: Influence of diet on mammary cancer in transgenic mice bearing an oncogene expressed in mammary tissue.

Preposition: in

  • cancer: It also is often the only class of structural change found in many dominantly acting oncogenes in human cancers.

Adjective modifier

  • cellular: The significance of the abnormalities has been discussed in relation to sites of cellular oncogenes.
  • human: They also suggest that the HIV-1 envelope gene could interact with human oncogenes that have Chi sequences.
  • recessive: However, the inserted transposon efficiently creates mutations in genes such as recessive oncogenes associated with cancer.
  • other: Further rounds of infection with other recombinant virus constructs could allow introduction of other oncogenes.
  • certain: Additionally, it slows the growth of target cells and inhibits the expression of certain oncogenes.
  • several: These included increased expression of several oncogenes, as well as decreased expression of several tumor suppressor genes and genes that regulate airway inflammation.

Modifies a noun

  • amplification: MYCN oncogene amplification, for example, provides a useful marker of poor prognosis.
  • activation: Genetics in leukemia are good examples of oncogene activation or loss of function which may lead to cancer.

Noun used with modifier

  • candidate: The candidate oncogene ZNF217 is frequently amplified in colon cancer.
  • gene: Among other things, changes of gene dosage and/or oncogene activation are mentioned as factors possibly influencing the characteristics of this non-random pattern.
  • v-: The helper virus envelope glycoprotein affects the disease specificity of a recombinant murine leukemia virus carrying a v- myc oncogene.
  • myc: The helper virus envelope glycoprotein affects the disease specificity of a recombinant murine leukemia virus carrying a v- myc oncogene.
  • fusion: This paradigm is currently being extended to determine if other transcription factor fusion oncogenes confer similar self-renewal properties.