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AMA Manual of Style Committee

Contents

Molecular Cancer Terminology

Chapter:
Nomenclature
Author(s):

Cheryl Iverson,

Stacy Christiansen,

Annette Flanagin,

Phil B. Fontanarosa,

Richard M. Glass,

Brenda Gregoline,

Stephen J. Lurie,

Harriet S. Meyer,

Margaret A. Winker,

Roxanne K. Young

15.2.5 Molecular Cancer Terminology

See also 15.10, Molecular Medicine. The style for the cell cycle is as follows:

Phase

Expansion or Derivation

G1

growth 1 or gap 1

S

synthesis (of DNA)

G2

growth 2 or gap 2

M

mitosis

G0

quiescent state

R point

restriction point

Miscellaneous molecular terms are styled as shown in the following tabulation. (See also 15.6.3, Genetics, Oncogenes and Tumor Suppressor Genes.)

Protein

Derivation

Variant Examples

Associated Genes

actinin

α-actinin

ACTN1, ACTN2, ACTN3

Bcl

B-cell lymphoma

bcl-2

BCL2

CAK

cyclin-activating enzyme (= cyclinH/CDK7)

bcl-X

BCLX

catenin

β1-catenin

CTNNB1

cdc2

cell division cycle

CDC2

CDK

cyclin-dependent kinase

cdk2

CDK2

CDKI

CDK inhibitor

cyclin/CDK complex

cyclin B/CDK1, cyclinD/CDK4/CDK6

G protein

GTP-binding regulatory protein

INK4

inhibitors of CDK4

p16Ink4 (p16)

CDKN2A

p21

CDKN1A

p53

TP53

Rb protein

retinoblastoma protein

RB1

TGF

tumor (or transforming) growth factor

TGF-β

tumor necrosis factor (TNF)

TNF

Note: Gene terms follow standard gene nomenclature style (see 15.6.2, Genetics, Human Gene Nomenclature).