proto-oncogene

• protooncogene

From proto- +‎ oncogene.

proto-oncogene (plural proto-oncogenes)

1. (genetics) A gene, promoting the specialization and division of normal cells, that could become an oncogene due to mutation.
   • 2010, Siddhartha Mukherjee, The Emperor of All Maladies, Fourth Estate (2011), page 534:

     Typically, proto-oncogenes are normal cellular genes that, when activated by mutation or overexpression, promote cancer.

• Lodish, Harvey with Berk, Arnold, Zipursky, Lawrence S., Matsudaira, Paul, Baltimore, David, and Darnell, James (2000) “Glossary”, in Molecular Cell Biology‎^[1], fourth edition, New York, N.Y.: W. H. FREEMAN, →ISBN, retrieved 11 December 2009