Overview
Please answer the Questions according to the attached slides.
1. If you were a normal cell trying to become transformed, why would the Ink4-Arf locus be a good place to initiate mutations? Your rationale should include: a) a general description of what a tumor promoting gene alteration might look like [frameshift, missense, in frame deletion/insertion, nonsense, silent, more than one of these?]; b) what is the consequence of this alteration? (using lecture material, be as detailed as possible--your answer should include reference to at least 6 proteins); c) why is this a good strategy for initiating tumorigenesis?
2.
2a. P53 mutations are different from those typically found in the tumor suppressor APC. What are the differences?
2b. P53 mutations tend to be in a certain domain of the protein. What is that domain and why do you think P53 mutations associated with cancer would be located there in particular?
2c. What would happen if p53 had a mutation more like those seen in the APC gene (describe what this mutation would do to p53 protein). Would this be expected to be more or less beneficial for a cancer (compared to the most prevalent p53 mutations)?
2d. Why?