Cell cycle and regulation

Welcome to this lecture on cell cycle and regulation, providing an overview of the stages of the cell cycle, its importance for growth and tissue maintenance, and the mechanisms that regulate its progression. We will discuss how checkpoints monitor DNA integrity and ensure proper division, emphasizing the roles of cyclins, CDKs, and their inhibitors. The lecture will examine how tumor suppressors and proton oncogenes govern cell proliferation and how their disruption leads to cancer. Finally, we will explore current therapeutic strategies that target cell cycle dysregulation in cancer treatment. The cell cycle is the series of processes by which a cell grows, duplicates its DNA, and divides into two daughter cells. This cycle is crucial for tissue development, replacement and repair in multicellular organisms. It consists of the G one, S, G two, and M phases. In G one, the cell grows and checks for readiness to divide. The S phase is when DNA replication occurs. G two allows for preparation and repair of any DNA damage. The M phase includes mitosis, where the nucleus divides, and cytokinesis, where the cytoplasm divides, resulting in two genetically identical daughter cells. Proper regulation of the cell cycle is essential to maintain healthy tissue function and prevent diseases such as cancer. Progression through the cell cycle is carefully monitored at several critical checkpoints. The first major checkpoint at G one, called the restriction point or start in yeast,