Meanings
nounproto-oncogene (plural proto-oncogenes)
plural proto-oncogenes · alternative protooncogene
- biologyA gene, promoting the specialization and division of normal cells, that could become an oncogene due to mutation.
Typically, proto-oncogenes are normal cellular genes that, when activated by mutation or overexpression, promote cancer.
2010, Siddhartha Mukherjee, The Emperor of All Maladies, Fourth Estate (2011), page 534
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*per-der.?
- Proto-Indo-European*pér
- Proto-Indo-European*pró
- Ancient Greekπρό (pró)
- Ancient Greekπρῶτος (prôtos)
- Ancient Greekπρωτο- (prōto-)
- Englishproto-
- Ancient Greekὄγκος (ónkos)
- New Latinonco-
- Englishonco-
- Englishgene
- Englishoncogene
- Englishproto-oncogene
Translations
Finnish esisyöpägeeni, proto-onkogeeni
- esisyöpägeenigene promoting the specialization and division of normal cells that could become an oncogene due to mutation
- proto-onkogeenigene promoting the specialization and division of normal cells that could become an oncogene due to mutation
French proto-oncogène
- proto-oncogènegene promoting the specialization and division of normal cells that could become an oncogene due to mutation
Hungarian protoonkogén
- protoonkogéngene promoting the specialization and division of normal cells that could become an oncogene due to mutation
Italian protooncogene
- protooncogenegene promoting the specialization and division of normal cells that could become an oncogene due to mutation
Cite this entry
APA
proto-oncogene. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/proto-oncogene
MLA
“proto-oncogene.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/proto-oncogene. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “proto-oncogene,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/proto-oncogene.
Source: proto-oncogene on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.