Cancer-causing mutations in genes can have different effects on the protein products expressed
a) What type of mutation would be dominant in the development of cancer? Why?
b) What type of mutation would be expressed as a recessive trait in the development of cancer? Why?
c) Based upon your answers to parts (a) and (b), how would you treat these situations using a gene therapy approach?
What will be an ideal response?
Answer:
a) A mutation that converts a proto-oncogene into an oncogene would be dominant because expression of the oncogenic form of the protein would be dominant over any normal cellular regulation of the normal protein activity.
b) A mutation in a tumor suppressor gene that destroys its product's expression or activity would be recessive because expression of protein from a normal allele would supply enough protein to prevent uncontrolled cell division.
c) Various types of gene therapy could be used to delete the oncogene or provide a good copy of the tumor suppressor gene.
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