Running head: GENETIC EXPRESSIONS

Genetic Expressions
SCI/410

GENETIC EXPRESSIONS

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Genetic Expressions

Genes are very important for organisms. Genes have very important information that
allows organisms to function and survive. These encode proteins and dictate the function of cells.
These help to decide what the cells function is, the steps from DNA and RNA to protein give the
cell self-regulation with the functions through adjustments of the proteins number and type. The
amount of protein in a cell gives the balance between the synthetic and degradative pathways.
The steps transcription, and translation play an important role in the numbers and types of
proteins within the cell. These help to regulate the cell.
There are many molecules that play important roles within a cell. The number and type of
mRNA that is found in a cell determines the cells function. The primary part of gene expression
starts with transcription. The mRNA molecules create thousands of transcripts every second.
(Unknwon, 2014). This allows any proteins to be made because with one transcript many
proteins can be made.
With eukaryotes there is another regulation due to the nucleus. The nucleus provides a
space for transcripts to be modified before being transported to the cytoplasm for the next step,
translation. RNA is very complicated it has a polymerase which has sequences that are not a
partof the mRNA. mRNA is only created after the protein coding regions are spliced. In the
chances that there is a environmental change there can be a regulatory control point that occurs
later. Many eukaryotes need translational control because of transcription limitations. Although
the protein balance can be adjusted quickly through RNA transcriptions and protein molecules
being put through an enzyme breakdown. However, this can cause many proteins to become
deceased. The cell cycle of eukaryote cells shows how this can occur. These phases are

GENETIC EXPRESSIONS

characterized by cyclin proteins that regulate each phase. The cyclin must be degraded before a
cell can change phases. (Unknwon, 2014)
Many proteins can control genes through activating or deactivating them. This can alter
the cell activity changing how the cell works. Proteins can change histones reactivating DNA
that was deactivated. DNA wraps around histones. The DNA is methylated and histones that are
in association with it are modified either becoming stronger or weaker. Proteins can demethylate
histones and reactivate the gene expression in them. Protein JHDM2A can remove methyl from
the histone H3 which is found on all genes. JHDM2A specifically removes methyl-groups from
lysine 9 of histone H3. (Foundation for Prader-Willi Research, 2014) The protein JHDM2A can
alter not just the once gene that it is intended for but also for the genes that are nearby. They also
found that H3K9 can be linked to the deactivation of genes.
Cancer is when there is abnormal gene expression, cells grow uncontrollably because the
cells do not die and keep growing and producing and can become metastasis. When a cell has
certain mutations, develops or inherits them the cell can change into a cancerous cell. According
to the American Cancer Society (2015) the mutations to DNA are not repaired in cancer cells and
the cells keep multiplying. After the reproduction of the faulty DNA there can be the creation of
a tumor. Eventually this can turn into metastasis where the cells invade other parts of the body. A
cell that has multitudes of specific genes and another gene is activated can become
overexpressed. This can change gene regulation and can cause mutation of the genes. In cancer
these changes can be detected.
There are two types of mutations that lead to cancer tumor suppressor genes and protooncogenes. Suppressor genes inhibit the growth and division of cells while proto-oncogens
accelerate cell growth and division. With suppressor genes mutations are usually caused by the

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deletion of a suppressor gene and inactivates the tumor suppressor gene-encoded protein. This
can also be caused by the mutation disrupting the suppressor genes promoter part creating
expression reduction. BRCA1, BRCA2, and p53 are examples of tumor suppressor genes.
(Cancer.net, 2013) The BRCA1 and BRCA2 increase womens chances of having breast cancer.
However, p53 is the most common gene found in those with cancer and are acquired mutations.
Proto-oncogenes are converted to oncogenes when they mutate. Mutations that inactivate tumor
suppressor genes (called loss-of-function mutations) can be caused by deletion of the tumor
suppressor gene (Chial, 2008) This occurs when the single base pair changes making the
gene hyperactive, this creates extra copies of the gene. When there is an error in the DNA repair
genes there are mistakes that are left unfixed. This can become mutated and eventually lead to
cancer.
Proteomics studies specific proteomes to understand the cellular process. They look into
the information of protein abundance, variations, modifications and networks. Cancer detection
relies on the knowledge of the molecular basis by discovering biomarkers. In patients there is a
discovery of proteins that give insights to cancer development. The cancer related proteins
trigger extensive protein-focused research for the hunt of biomarkers. (NCI, n.d.) With
proteomics there is a way to use biospecimens to measure their proteins accurately which can
give information about cancer development and progression processes.
Many scientists recognized that in mapping the human genome they would provide the
first step to understanding how cancer is formed. From the Human Genome Project (HGP) that
have launched another part called The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). There are numerous forms
of cancer that scientists are looking into finding answers about this can lead to multitudes of
data. When applied to the 50 most common types of cancer, this effort could ultimately prove

GENETIC EXPRESSIONS

to be the equivalent of more than 10,000 Human Genome Projects in terms of the sheer volume
of DNA to be sequenced. (Collins, 2007). Through identifying the multitudes of gene mutations
it is believed that the data will be able to give more information on the development and progress
of cancer. This can help to understand the best treatments and study ways to reverse the cycle.
Genetic expressions are very important to the functions of organisms. Mutations can
cause dangerous effects to an organism through developing a dangerous effect. Genome
expression can have genes that can activate and deactivate proteins that can cause the cell to
produce proteins that they should not be. Cancer is caused by a genetic mutation to an organism.
This is caused by two different types of changes that can be inherited, or spontaneous. Through
using proteomes scientists are able to further identify the cancer causes and types of genes that
are involved. A group called the Cancer Genome Atlas is collecting data to further understand the
genes involved in cancer.

References

GENETIC EXPRESSIONS

American Cancer Society (2015) What is Cancer? Retrieved from:

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancerbasics/what-is-cancer
Boundless, (2015). Retrieved from: https://www.boundless.com/biology/textbooks/boundlessbiology-textbook/gene-expression-16/cancer-and-gene-regulation-118/altered-geneexpression-in-cancer-470-11690/
Cancer.net (2013) The Genetics of Cancer. Retrieved from: http://www.cancer.net/navigatingcancer-care/cancer-basics/genetics/genetics-cancer
Chial, H. (2008) Genetic regulation of cancer. Nature Education 1(1):67
Collins, F. (2007) Mapping The Cancer Genome. Retrieved from:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mapping-the-cancer-genome/
Foundation for Prader-Willi Research (2014) Altering Gene Expression. Retrieved from:
http://www.fpwr.org/altering-gene-expression/
NCI (n.d.) What is Cancer Proteomics? Retrieved from:
http://proteomics.cancer.gov/whatisproteomics
NIH (n.d.) What is Cancer Genomics? Retrieved from:
http://cancergenome.nih.gov/cancergenomics/whatisgenomics/whatis
Unknown (2014) Essentials of Cell Biology. Retrieved from:
http://www.nature.com/scitable/ebooks/essentials-of-cell-biology-14749010/122996928