About genes and proteins
While the processes that regulate gene expression and control cell growth are relatively well understood, how cells meet their demand for membrane components required for these events growth and morphological differentiation they are still a mystery. The Dra Beatriz Caputto, senior researcher at CONICET CIQUIBIC, addresses our center study involving a gene called c-fos in this phenomenon.
C-fos is a protooncogene that encodes a protein of the same name, which participates in the control of DNA transcription, first step for decoding of genetic information. At this stage it regulates the expression of many genes involved in proliferation-related processes, differentiation and cell death. A few years ago, in the group of Dr.. Caputto determined that c-fos, in addition to its nuclear activity, regulates key metabolisms for the genesis of membranes in the cell cytoplasm.
More recently, members of the research team, among which are Drs Fabiola Velasquez and Cesar Prucca They devoted themselves to elucidate the impact of the absence of this protein in the central nervous system and in particular, in the proliferation and differentiation of neural progenitor stem cells. The results show that the c-fos protein participates, through its role as a transcription factor, in regulating normal development of the cerebral cortex, highlighting the importance of the proto-oncogene c-fos in tissue homeostasis in normal development and.
In addition, previous work of the laboratory of Dr.. Caputto show that in tumors of the central and peripheral nervous system of mice, the c-fos protein supports the growth thereof through its cytosolic function, whereas in a normal cell population with great capacity for proliferation and differentiation as stem cell population studied neural progenitor, c-fos acts by nuclear function. That is why projects currently studying the importance of this proto-oncogene in the population of tumor stem cells derived from tumors of the nervous system, taking into account the importance of this cell population growth and tumor recurrence.
Font: CONICET (see full story)
The processes that regulate gene expression and that control cell growth are relatively well known. However, how cells fulfill their demand for membrane components required for growth and morphological differentiation are still a mystery. Dr. Beatriz Caputto, senior researcher of CONICET at CIQUIBIC, studies the role of a gene called c-fos in this phenomenon.
C-fos is a protooncogene that encodes a protein of the same name, which participates in the control of DNA transcription, the first step in decoding the genetic information. At that stage regulates the expression of many genes involved in processes related to proliferation, differentiation and cell death. A few years ago, Dr. Caputto’s team determined that c-fos, in addition to its nuclear activity, regulates key metabolisms to the genesis of membranes in the cytoplasm.
More recently, members of her research team, including Dr Fabiola Velazquez and Cesar Prucca were dedicated to elucidate the impact of the absence of this protein in the central nervous system and, in particular, into the proliferation and differentiation of stem cells neural progenitor. The results show that c-fos protein participates, through its role as a transcription factor, in the regulation of normal development of the cerebral cortex, highlighting the importance of the proto-oncogene c-fos in tissue homeostasis and normal development.
In addition, previous work of Dr. Caputto’s lab showed that c-fos protein maintains cell growth in tumors of the central and peripheral nervous system of mice through its cytosolic function, whereas in a normal cell population with high capacity for proliferation and differentiation as neural progenitor stem cells, c-fos acts by its nuclear function. Currently, they are studying the importance of this proto-oncogene in the population of neural tumor-derived stem cells, given the importance of this cell population growth and tumor recurrence.
Source: CONICET (See complete information-Spanish only)