Question

1. S. epidermidisa commensal microbe naturally found on human skin that decreases growth of skin tumors .  This microbe produces a compound  called 6-HAP that affects skin tumor cells.  The compounds structure is provided.(2 pts)

1. What common biomolecule is this compound analogous to (what does this molecule look like)? (0.5 pt)

2. What stage of the cell cycle is likely being targeted by the compound. Explain.(0.5 pt)

3. Based on your understanding of cancer and its treatements,why would 6-HAP be and effective treatment against skin tumors? (1 pt)

Answer 1

What common biomolecule is this compound analogous to (what does this molecule look like)?
It looks like one of the purines (adenine and guanine)

What stage of the cell cycle is likely being targeted by the compound.

In this case, the phase S of the cell where the DNA is being synthesized could be affected because 6-HAP may be used as building block for the DNA.

Based on your understanding of cancer and its treatments, why would 6-HAP be and effective treatment against skin tumors?

Remember that the tumor cells are constantly dividing. This is because tumor suppressor genes or oncogenes could get a mutation in some point of the cell cycle. These mutations result in an uncontrolled proliferation and the cancer will be developed. As we know, cancer cells requires a lot of resources just as growth factors, nutrients, vitamins and other biomolecules to maintain their excessive proliferation rate. In this case, if there is a analog molecule to the purines which are used to built the DNA, the cancer cell would be highly affected since 6-HAP can not be used as nucleotide source. The final result will be a lack of DNA production and a programmed cell death (apoptosis).