title: Oncogenes in cellular immortalisation and differentiation (review).
abstract: Oncogenes have been shown to be able to overcome the limited proliferative capacity of normal mammalian cells in culture enforcing them to an immortalised phenotype, which in turn may act as a primary step in tumourigenesis. The oncogenes which display such immortalisation activity have the common feature of nuclear localisation, while the oncogenes which are capable of transforming cells are mainly cytoplasmic. Oncogenes from both families have been shown to interfere with the differentiation processes of several cell types. There is evidence that some of these proto-oncogenes may function as regulators of normal cell differentiation, and when immortalisation occurs this is a process of blocking the cell from achieving a differentiated state. This article focuses on the ability of some oncogenes with different functions, such as myc and ras, to override the limited cellular proliferative capacity and their effects on differentiation; finally it examines the recent implications that some onco-suppressor genes are actively participating in cellular differentiation processes.
authors.affiliation: Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, London, U.K.
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Gonos
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Spandidos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D016259:Genes, myc; D011905:Genes, ras; D006801:Humans; D009857:Oncogenes; D010641:Phenotype