Torry D S
Division of Molecular Genetics, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
Am J Reprod Immunol. 1992 Apr-May;27(3-4):167-70. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0897.1992.tb00745.x.
Oncogenes are identified functionally by their ability to induce neoplastic transformation of susceptible cells. The first oncogenes to be characterized were isolated from acutely transforming retroviruses. Subsequently, it was determined that the retroviral oncogenes were formed from normal, progenitor genes. These cellular homologs of the viral oncogenes are termed proto-oncogenes. The derivation of oncogenes from proto-oncogenes is the consequence of mutations that remove regulatory constraints from the proto-oncogene. The ability of oncogenes to induce transformation implies that proto-oncogenes may function in growth and differentiation pathways in normal cells. Although many proto-oncogenes have been defined, the normal physiological function of most is not known. Studies of proto-oncogene expression during normal gametogenesis have determined that some genes are expressed in a stage-specific manner. The use of germ cells to provide homogeneous and defined normal cell populations facilitates identifying the roles proto-oncogenes have in regulating cell growth and differentiation.
癌基因通过其诱导易感细胞发生肿瘤转化的能力在功能上得以鉴定。首批被鉴定的癌基因是从急性转化逆转录病毒中分离出来的。随后，人们确定逆转录病毒癌基因是由正常的祖基因形成的。这些病毒癌基因的细胞同源物被称为原癌基因。癌基因由原癌基因衍生而来是原癌基因上的突变消除了调控限制的结果。癌基因诱导转化的能力意味着原癌基因可能在正常细胞的生长和分化途径中发挥作用。尽管已经定义了许多原癌基因，但大多数原癌基因的正常生理功能尚不清楚。对正常配子发生过程中原癌基因表达的研究已经确定，一些基因以阶段特异性的方式表达。利用生殖细胞提供均匀且明确的正常细胞群体，有助于确定原癌基因在调节细胞生长和分化中所起的作用。
