Oncogene - journal - was created in 1987.

A proto-oncogene is normally converted to an oncogene by mutation of the gene that encodes the proto-oncogene.

Often, this leads to de-regulation of the proto-oncogenes activity and typically abarrent signal transduction in the cell, which may lead to cellular transformation.

An oncogene is a gene, when mutated or expressed at high levels it helps turn a normal cell into a tumor cell.

Oncogene.

Compare with a virus: dormant to active, potential to kinetic, potent(ial) to actual. The proto-oncogene may become a cancer-causing oncogene only under very specific conditions and may, under other conditions, just as well lay dormant.