The growth factor Superchick stimulates the proliferation of cultured chicken cells.The receptor that binds Superchick is a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), and many chicken tumor cell lines have mutations in the gene that encodes this receptor.Which of the following types of mutation would be expected to promote uncontrolled cell proliferation?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A mutation that inactivates the protein tyrosine phosphatase, which is responsible for dephosphorylating activated receptors, would lead to prolonged activation of the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) pathway, promoting uncontrolled cell proliferation. This is because the phosphatase normally acts to turn off the signal transduction pathway by removing phosphate groups from the receptor, and its inactivation would prevent this deactivation, leading to continuous signaling.

The Growth Factor Superchick Stimulates the Proliferation of Cultured Chicken