Steroid/thyroid receptor-like proteins with oncogenic potential: a review.

Mutated or truncated forms of certain members of the steroid/thyroid receptor superfamily have oncogenic potential. The aberrant forms compete with the normal receptor for binding to the responsive element on the DNA and thus interfere negatively with the normal transcription control mechanism. Oncogenes that arise from dominant negative mutations may therefore be called "dononcs," to distinguish them from recessive types such as that causing retinoblastoma ("renoncs"). It is possible that dononcs are also responsible for the loss of hormonal responsiveness of some tumors during progression.