CH5 Flashcards
Three categories of human genetic disorders are?
1) Disorders related to mutations in single genes with large effects: rare, Mendelian disorders, high penetrance
2) Chromosomal disorders: rare, high penetrance
3) Complex multigenic disorders: very common, polymorphisms (several must be present to create dx), multifactorial d/t environment component
What is a mutation?
Permanent change in the DNA
What is a point mutation? What is a nonsense mutation?
Change of a single base, a substitution, that changes the meaning of a DNA sequence (missense mutation)
Conservative (little change in function) vs non-conservative (normal AA replaced with biochemically different one)
A point mutation in which a stop codon is created
Are mutations in noncoding sequences in exons or introns?
Introns
What DNA alterations is a frameshift mutation associated with? When is this mutation UNLIKELY to be harmful?
Deletions or insertions
When the insertion or deletion involves 3 or multiples of three keeping the reading frame intact
What mutation deals with amplified sequences of three nucleotides? What nucleotides are highlighted?
Trinucleotide-repeat mutation
Guanine (G) and cytosine (C)
In sickle cell anemia, what are the names or normal and abnormal hemoglobin?
Normal = HbA
Abnormal (sickle) = HbS
What is codominance? What’s an example?
When both alleles of a gene pair contribute to the phenotype
A person’s blood type
A single mutant gene may lead to many end effects. What’s this called? Many mutant genes may converge on one trait. What’s this called? Give examples.
Pleiotropism (sickle cell anemia)
Genetic heterogeneity (deafness, diabetes)
Mutations of single genes follow what 3 patterns of inheritance?
Autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, X-linked
Define incomplete penetrance. Define variable expressivity. What are these mechanisms likely affected by?
Represented mathematically as a mutant gene that has a % chance of expressing as a normal vs mutant phenotype
A different expression among individuals of the same mutant gene
Environmental actors
What does dominant negative, in reference to a mutant allele, mean? What’s an example?
A mutant allele that impairs the function of a normal allele
Collagen (trimer, if one monomer has a mutation the whole complex doesn’t form)
What are the results of gain-of-function mutations?
Upregulation of protein activity
Acquired is a wholly new activity unrelated to protein’s normal function
What is a consanguineous marriage? What is this pertinent to?
Marriage between two people who are related as second cousins or closer.
Autosomal Recessive Disorders regarding low-frequency mutant genes
What features apply to autosomal recessive disorders, distinguishing them from autosomal dominant disorders?
Defect expression is more uniform
Complete penetrance common
Onset usually early in life
New mutations associated with recessive disorders occur but rarely present clinically
Many of the mutations pertain to enzymes (heterozygotes produce equal amounts of normal and defective enzymes
Include most of inborn metabolism errors
All sex-linked disorders are what?
X-linked and almost all recessive
Are the Y and X chromosomes homologous/have corresponding alleles?
No
What’s responsible for lysosomal storage dx’s?
Excessive accumulation of substrates within lysosomes as a result of deficiency in pertinent degradative enzymes
What enzyme may be defective an albanism?
Tyrosinase
Converts tyrosine to melanin in melanocytes
What are two dx that result in defects of transport systems?
Familial hypercholesterolemia (LDL R)
Cystic fibrosis (CL- R)
What’s the difference between hemoglobinopathies and thalassemias?
Hemoglobinopathies result from defective proteins and defective globin
Thalassemias result from defect in amount of globin proteins available
What is pharmicogenetics?
The study of genetic polymorphisms that lead to adverse affects from drugs
What is Marfan syndrome? What is its most striking feature What glycoprotein is involved/lost? What are the two mechanisms of this dx?
Disorder of connective tissues that manifests as changes in the skeleton, eyes, and cardiovascular system
Skeletal abnormalities (pectus excavatum, long extremeties, spinal deformities)
Fibrillin-1
1) Loss of structural support in microfibril (ECM component) rich connective tissue
2) Excessive activation of TGF-B
What are the homologous forms of fibrillin and what are their associated genes? Which is associated with Marfan syndrome?
Fibrillin-1, FBN1, associated with Marfan syndrome
Fibrillin-2, FBN2, congenital contractural arachnodactylyl
What do microfibrils sequester? If this ability is lost, what occurs?
TGF-B
Marfan syndrome d/t excessive TGF-B and thus metalloprotease activity, affects primarily the aorta and mitral valves
What is a mitral prolapse? What dx state can it be associated with?
Improper closure of the mitral valve (between LA and LV)
Marfan syndrome
Why does Marfan syndrome present in so many different ranges?
Depends on the mutation that affected the fibrillin locus, more than 600 possible
What is the most common form of the autosomal recessive kinds of Ehlers-Danlos Sydromes? What is the gene defect in?
Kyphoscholiosis
Lysyl hydroxylase
What abnormalities do vascular type of EDSs result from? What gene are these mutations on?
Abnormalities in type 3 collagen
COL3A1
What is the defect in the EDS’s arthrochalasia type and dermatosparaxis type? What are the specifics to each?
Conversion of Type 1 procollagen to collagen
Arthrochalasia type: mutation on one of the two type 1 collagen genes (COL1A1, COL1A2), abnormal pro-collagen resists peptidase cleavage at N-terminals, autosomal dominant negative effect
Dermatosparaxis type: proacollagen-N-peptidase gene mutation, autosomal recessive form of inheritance
What is the immediate and major source of plasma LDL?
IDL via metabolic processing that removes most TGs leaving only cholesterol
How does cholesterol feed back?
Cholesterol that enters the cytoplasm:
1) suppresses cholesterol synthesis within the cell by inh 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase which is the rate-liming enzyme in the synthetic pathway
2) activates acyl-coenzyme A (favors excess cholesterol storage)
3) suppresses synthesis of LDL R’s (protecting cells from excessive cholesterol accumulation)