PROTO-ONCOGENES are corresponding normal cellular genes to an oncogene that is responsible for normal cell growth and division. An oncogene refers to a gene that is capable of causing cancer due to damage to the DNA molecule either by virus or other DNA damaging agents. A proto oncogene is the normal version of the gene while an oncogene is the abnormal version of the concerned gene.
<span>A gene that
code for proteins and responsible for normal cell growth and division is called
proto-oncogenes. Mutations in proto-oncogenes can lead to an increase in
protein expression or produce too many copies of it and become oncogene that
can contribute to cancer cells. Furthermore,
</span>proto-oncogenes<span> have many various
roles in the cell. Some of them provide signals that lead to cell division and
others regulate programmed cell death.</span>
