Book Viewer

Short Contents | Full Contents | Other books @ NCBI

| Modern Genetic Analysis Chapter 15. Regulation of Cell Number: Normal and Cancer Cells Cancer: the Genetics of Aberrant Cell Control Figure 15-17. An oncogenic mutation affecting signaling between cells. EGFR, the normal receptor for epidermal growth factor (EGF), has a ligand-binding domain outside the cell, a transmembrane (TM) domain that allows the protein to span the plasma membrane, and an intracellular domain that has tyrosine-specific protein kinase activity. Normally, the kinase activity is activated only when EGF binds to the ligand-binding domain, and this activity is only transitory. The erythroblastosis tumor virus carries the v-erbB oncogene, which encodes a mutant form of EGFR that lacks pieces at both ends. These deletions allow the mutant protein to constitutively dimerize, leading to continuous autophosphorylation, which results in continuous transduction of a signal from the receptor. (Adapted from J. D. Watson, M. Gilman, J. Witkowski, and M. Zoller, Recombinant DNA, 2d ed. Copyright © 1992 by James D. Watson, Michael Gilman, Jan Witkowski, and Mark Zoller.)

© 1999 by W. H. Freeman and Company. All rights reserved.