8.10.16 Lecture Flashcards
What is a mutation?
A mutation is a change in the normal base pair sequence
If left unrepaired, mutations in the genetic code or in regulatory regions that impact gene expression, what can happen?
Cell cycle arrest, cell death (apoptosis), genomic instability and disease (like cancer)
Most instances of inherited syndromes with defects in DNA repair involve ___ mutant alleles.
Recessive
What are the three classes of small-scale mutations (point mutations)? Describe them.
- Base substitutions and modifications (replacement or modification of a single base; transitions (Pu/Pu or Py/Py) and transversions (Pu/Py); methylation; unnatural bases)
- Deletions (one or more nucleotide is eliminated, leading to frameshift)
- Insertions: copy/duplicative transposition (duplicated copy moved to another location); non-copy transposition (movement to a new location), leads to frameshifts)
What are the four major types of large scale mutations/changes that occur at the chromosomal level?
- Amplification (gene duplications)
- Deletions
- Translocations (fusions or inversion)
- Loss of heterozygosity
What are allelic sequence variations?
Allelic sequence variations are polymorphisms arising with a frequency >1%.
What is the average heterozygosity for human genomic DNA?
1:250-1:1000 bases are different between allelic sequences
What can be used to distinguish between individuals?
SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms)
Mutations that change alleles can produce new genetic traits; some are good, leading to ___, and some are deleterious, leading to ___.
Adaptation; Disease susceptibility
What are de novo mutations and where can they occur?
Naturally occurring mutations; they can occur in both somatic cells and germline cells
Are somatic mutations heritable? Why or why not?
No, they only affect those cells that result from mitotic division; mutations can accumulate in these cells, leading to disease
Are germline mutations heritable? Why or why not?
Yes, they affect all cells, thus increasing the susceptibility to disease
What are the sources of de novo mutations?
Copying errors, spontaneous chemical attack, environmental exposure
Describe how spontaneous DNA alterations occur.
Bases within DNA are altered through several types of endogenous attack, including oxidative damage, hydrolytic attack, or modifications.
What are the most frequent types of chemical attack?
- Depurination of AG (hydrolytic cleavage of the bases from the sugar backbone)
- Deamination (typically the removal of amino group from C, leading to conversion to U)
Replication and environmental factors can result in DNA mutations. Different types of damage can result in the activation of ___, which usually remove the mutagenic lesion.
Specific removal pathways
How do cells deal with mutated DNA that is not repaired?
If the rate of DNA damage = the rate of repair, the cell remains healthy. If the rate of DNA damage > the rate of repair, damage accumulates, which can lead to excessive proliferation (cancer), senescence (halted growth), or apoptosis (cell death)
What are the three general classes of DNA repair mechanisms?
- Direct repair (damage reversal)
- Excision repair (remove and replace - BER, NER, TCR, MMR)
- Double-stranded break repair (HEJ, NHEJ)
What are the four types of excision repair?
- Base excision repair (BER)
- Nucleotide excision repair (NER)
- Transcription coupled repair (TCR)
- Mismatch repair (MMR)
True or False: Most lesions can be repaired by more than one mechanism.
True
What does direct repair do?
Direct repair reverses base damage in a quick, though energetically costly manner.
Describe the direct repair mechanism.
O6-meG, an abnormal base, can base pair to C or T. O6-meG can block polymerase. MGMT (O6-meg methyl transferase) removes the methyl group and reverses the base damage.