Question

Given the scenario/situation, respond to all questions with complete sentences.

Scientists have been studying the effects of Starkagaren Disease, which is regulated by the stgn gene, in cultured normal and breast cancer cell lines. They have fused a yellow fluorescent probe to the end of the stgn gene to study the disease more closely. By adding a probe, it will create a hybrid protein that emits a yellow color under a blue laser. This hybrid protein is known as a fluorescent–tagged protein, meaning that the protein itself will function and fold normally but it will be tagged with a yellow fluorescent probe (YFP) at the end. This allows the scientists to follow the protein through the cell cycle. They find that the stgn protein normally binds to centromeres in normal cells. After looking at cells at various stages of the cell cycle, they find that compared to normal cells, the breast cancer cells that express the Starkagaren Disease display abnormal nuclei, some appear very large, some have tiny nuclei, and some cells do not have a nucleus at all.

a) Because the STGN protein binds to the centromere, the scientists can also study what other structure?

b) After looking the defects of the affected cells, where in the cell cycle would you guess the error occurs? What do you think happens?

c) The stgn gene appears to not be functioning, do you think the scientists are able to see the STGN protein at the centromeres? Why?

d) The scientists want to see what would happen if they could block the stgn gene from being made in normal cells or lung cancer cells, what is one way they could do this?