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www.BioInteractive.org/ / / / /
//////////Published/August/2014/
Revised/May/2016/
//////////////////////////////////Page/1/of/3
Student Handout
Advanced
Click and Learn
The p53 Gene and Cancer!
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INTRO D UCTION/
This!handout!should!be!used!with!the!Click!and !Lea rn! “The!p53!Gene!and!Cancer”!
(http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/p53-gene-and-cancer).!It!is intended as a full introduction to the
p53 molecule, its interaction with other molecules, and its role in cancer.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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PROCEDURE/
Follow!the!instructions!as!you!proceed!through!the!Click!and!Learn!and!answer!the!questions!in!the!
spaces!below.!
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1. On!slide/1,!“p53”!is!ref e rre d!to!as!a!mole c u l e ,!a !p ro t e in ,!a n d !a !g e n e ;!i t!is !a lso!referred!to!a s !b e in g !
mutated.!In!your!own!words,!and!based!on!your!knowledge!of!molecular!genetics,!how!are!these!
terms!related?!
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2. Read!slide/2!and!define!the!following!terms:!
a. Oncogene:!!!
b. Tumor!suppressor!gene:!!!
c. DNA!repair!gene:!!
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3. Based!on!the!information!on!slide/2,!how!is!p53!related!to!oncogenes!and!tumor!suppressor!genes?!
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4. Watch!the!video!clip!on!slide/2!and!answer!the!following!questions:!
a. How!is!a!mutated!oncogene!analogous!to!a!100-pound!weight!on!the!gas!pedal!in!a!car?!
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b. How!does!the!car!analogy!apply!to!a!mutated!tumor!suppressor!gene?!
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www.BioInteractive.org/ / / / /
//////////Published/August/2014/
Revised/May/2016/
//////////////////////////////////Page/2/of/3
Student Handout
Advanced
Click and Learn
The p53 Gene and Cancer!
c. What!is!required!for!a!cell!to!“spin!out!of!control”?!
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5. What!three!conditions!or!factors!activate!p53!to!shut!down!cell!division!(slide/3)?!
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6. Why!is!p53!called!the!“guardian!of!the!genome”?!
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7. The!p53!protein!contains!three!domains.!In!your!own!words,!what!is!the!function!of!each!domain!!
(slide/4)?!
a. Transactivation!domain:!!
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b. DNA!binding!domain:!!!
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c. Complexing!domain:!!!
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8. Slide/5!explains!p53’s!function.!What!is!a!transcription!factor?!
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9. Based!on!the!information!given!in!slides/3/and/5,!for!wha t !se t!of!cancer!gen e s !d o e s !p 5 3 !a c t!a s !a !
transcription!facto r?!
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www.BioInteractive.org/ / / / /
//////////Published/August/2014/
Revised/May/2016/
//////////////////////////////////Page/3/of/3
Student Handout
Advanced
Click and Learn
The p53 Gene and Cancer!
10. What!are!the!two!roles!of!Mdm2!(slide/6)?!
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11. Watch!the!video!clip!on!slide/6!and!answer!the!following!questions:!
a. What!is!the!purpose!of!ubiquitin?!
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b. What!is!the!role!of!the!proteasome?!
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12. Hypothesize!how!Mdm2!“tags”!p53!for!degradation.!
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13. Read!slide/7!and!watch!the!animation.!Answer!the!following:!
a. How!does!p53!“turn!on”!transcription?!
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b. Name!two!cell!processes!that!are!regulated!by!p53?!
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c. Cancer!can!be!defined!as!“uncontrolled!cell!division.”!Based!on!this!definition,!explain!how!
mutations!in!the!p53!gene!play!a!role!in!cancer.!
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