Clinical Genetics And Biochemistry Flashcards
What is a transposon and how much of the human genome is made up of transposon repeats?
A mobile genetic element. 45% of human genome
Are transposons well or poorly conserved?
Poorly conserved
What are piRNAs?
Piwi protein interacting RNAs which control transposon activity. They are an example of non-coding RNA
What is heterochromatin and how much of the human genome is made up of it?
Tightly packed repetitive DNA with little or no active gene expression. Stains darkly with giemsa stain. Makes up 6.7% of the human genome.
What is euchromatin?
Loosely packed DNA with lots of active gene expression. Pale staining with giemsa.
What is chromatin?
DNA and histones
What makes up 3 - 4% of the human genome?
Non coding mRNA genes
Is heterochromatin well or poorly conserved?
Poorly conserved
What does non coding RNA do?
It regulates the expression of protein coding mRNA genes
Give examples of non-coding RNA
PiRNA and microRNA. PiRNA regulates transposon activity. MicroRNAs can silence protein coding mRNA or stop translation
What makes up 1.2% of the human genome?
Protein coding mRNA gene
Are RNA genes well or poorly conserved?
Well conserved
What are the three types of mutations?
Pathogenic
Non-pathogenic (polymorphism)
Conferring disease susceptibility (risk allele)
What is a polymorphism?
Non-pathogenic mutation
What are the 5 types of disease causing mutations in DNA and chromosomes?
SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphism aka point mutation)
Indels (small insertions or deletions)
CNV (copy number variants, large indels)
Microsatellites (dynamic) (expansion or contraction of tandemly repeated DNA)
Minisatellite (expansion or contraction of tandemly repeated DNA)
Which disease causing mutations are associated with repetitive DNA?
CNV
Microsatellites
Minisatellites
What is a SNP?
Single nucleotide polymorphism. It is pathogenic if it changes the open reading frame or is found in the promoter or regulatory region as this will change the amount of mRNA produced.
What is an indel?
Small insertions or deletions. SNP indel = 1 nucleotide inserted or deleted. Micro indel = more than 1 nucleotide inserted/deleted
What is a CNV?
Large indel, duplication or inversion
What are micro and mini satellites and which of them is dynamic?
Contractions or expansions of tandemly repeated DNA. Microsatellites are dynamic.
What is a Barr body?
Chromatin of an inactive X chromosome. It is seen as a blob of condensed chromatin at the edge of the nucleus of a cell in interphase.
What is a manifesting heterozygote?
A female carrier of an X linked recessive condition who shows some symptoms due to skewed X inactivation
What does hemizygous mean?
A boy with one affected X chromosome in an X linked recessive condition
What is a true homozygote?
Have inherited 2 copies of the same mutation (usually due to consanguineous mating)
What is a compound heterozygote?
Inherited 2 different mutations but has phenotype of homozygote (most homozygotes are actually compound heterozygotes, unless consanguineous mating is involved)
What is consanguineous mating?
1st cousin mating
What is a dynamic mutation?
The mutation increases in length between the parent and the child e.g. Microsatellites
What is genomic imprinting? Give an example
Where expression of an allele is dependent on its parental origin e.g. Paternal 15q12 deletion causes Prader-Willi syndrome in boys. Maternal 15q12 deletion causes angelman syndrome in girls.
7 Location of mutations in protein coding genes
Enhancer Promoter Start codon Exon donor consensus Exon acceptor consensus Stop codon Poly A tail
8 Location of mutations in protein coding genes
Enhancer Promoter Start codon Intron donor consensus Intron acceptor consensus Within an exon Stop codon Poly A addition signal
What is the point of the untranslated region of a gene?
It is where microRNAs look for sequences to regulate gene expression
What happens if there is a mutation in the enhancer or promoter region of a gene?
There will be an increase or decrease in gene product
What happens if there is a mutation at the start codon?
No translation of abnormal translation
What happens if there is a mutation at the intron donor consensus (beginning of intron) or intron acceptor consensus (end of intron)?
Incorrect splicing
What is an intron?
Non coding section of a gene
What is an exon?
Coding section of a gene
What happens if there is a mutation in the stop codon?
Translation will not be stopped and the protein will get bigger
What happens if there is a mutation in the poly A addition signal?
mRNA will not be polyadenylated resulting in less stable mRNA and hence less protein
What is the poly A tail added to?
It is added to mRNA to increase its stability
What effects can a mutation have on a protein?
Loss of function (little/no protein produced or faulty protein produced)
Gain of function (harmful product or enhanced function or new function)
Dominant negative (mutant protein interferes with function of wild type protein e.g. Mutation in one collage oligomer will disrupt the whole collagen structure)
What is snRNA?
Small nuclear RNA. It is involved in splicing.
What can mutations in miRNA cause?
Autosomal deafness
EDICT (eye disease)
What can mutations in snRNA cause?
MOPD type 1 which is a type of primordial dwarfism
What is long ncRNA?
Long non coding RNA (>200 bp)
What do mutations in long ncRNA cause?
Aplastic anaemia
What is a SNP RFLP?
Restriction fragment length polymorphism. Gain/loss of a restriction site.
What is a transition?
SNP which results in a purine to purine change (A to G) or a pyrimidine to pyrimidine change (T to C)
What is a purine
Adenine and guanine
What is a pyrimidine
Cytosine and thymine
Which bases bind together?
A binds T
G binds C
What is a transversion
Where a SNP results in a purine (A or G) being swapped for a pyrimidine (C or T) or vice versa
What is a synonymous SNP?
Silent mutation (amino acid remains the same)
What is a non-synonymous SNP?
Results in a different amino acid with very different properties from the original one
What is a Missense mutation?
Changes in the coding sequence result in one amino acid being swapped for another. Can be conservative or non-conservative.
What is a conservative Missense mutation?
Changes in the coding sequence result in an amino acid change. The new amino acid has similar properties to the old one.
What is a non-conservative Missense mutation?
Changes in the coding sequence result in a change in amino acid, the new amino acid does not have similar properties to the old one
What does a SNP indel cause?
A frameshift mutation, since it inserts/deletes 1 nucleotide (ie not a multiple of 3).
What causes a frameshift mutation?
Inserting/deleting a number of nucleotides which is not a multiple of 3
What is a nonsense mutation?
It causes insertion of a premature stop codon
What are the 3 methods of detecting SNPs?
Restriction digest followed by gel electrophoresis (SNP RFLP only)
ARMS (primers)
Microarray
Glycogenesis
Glycogen formation from glucose
Glycogenolysis
Glycogen breakdown to form glucose and glucose-6-phosphate
Gluconeogenesis
Production of glucose from other metabolic pathways (especially glucose from pyruvate)
What is glycolysis?
Anaerobic conversion of glucose to pyruvate
What are the products of glycolysis?
Net 2 ATP
2 pyruvate
2 NADH
What are the 3 stages of glycolysis?
Glucose to fructose-1-6-bisphosphate
DHAP to glutaraldehyde
Glutaraldehyde to pyruvate (occurs twice)
How many carbon atoms in pyruvate?
3
Where and how is glycolysis controlled?
At the formation of glucose-6-phosphate
At the formation of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate. Phosphofructokinase is regulated by fructose-2,6-bisphosphate. Lots of glucose = lots of fructose-2,6-bisphosphate which activates phosphofructokinase. Vice versa for low glucose.
What are the only tissues that have an absolute requirement for blood glucose for metabolism?
Rbc
Brain
What energy source can the brain use in starvation?
Ketones from fatty acid breakdown
When does most gluconeogenesis occur?
Sleep
Where is most glycogen stored?
Mainly in muscle but some in liver
Where is glycogen made?
Liver
Where is most glycogen stored?
Mainly in muscle but some in liver
When does most gluconeogenesis occur?
Sleep
What energy source can the brain use in starvation?
Ketones from fatty acid breakdown
What are the three steps of glycolysis which have a large negative delta G and are essentially irreversible?
Hexokinase
Phosphofructokinase
Pyruvate kinase
What is hexokinase inhibited by?
Glucose-6-phosphate
What is phosphofructokinase inhibited by?
Citrate and ATP
What is phosphofructokinase activated by?
Fructose-2,6-bisphosphate
And AMP
What is pyruvate kinase inhibited by?
Alanine and ATP
What is pyruvate kinase activated by?
Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate
What are all steroid hormones synthesised from?
Cholesterol
What are 3 classes of steroid hormone?
Corticosteroids (glucocorticoids such as cortisol) (mineralocorticoids such as aldosterone)
Androgens
Estrogens
Where does steroid synthesis occur?
Adrenal cortex
Testes
Ovaries
Which enzymes are involved in steroid synthesis?
Members of the cytochrome P450 oxidase family
Which gene codes for enzymes involved in steroid synthesis?
CYP11
What are symptoms of diabetes?
Unexplained weight loss Polyuria Polydipsia Blurred vision Fatigue Thrush Slow healing of cuts Ketone smell on breath due to ketoacidosis
What is the main difficulty in recognising diabetes symptoms?
Habituation
What is the main difference in symptoms between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?
Type 1 symptoms develop quickly
Compare insulin and glucagon levels in type 1 diabetes?
Insulin levels are low
Glucagon levels are high
What is the 1st step in diagnosing diabetes?
Glucose in urine test
What conditions are associated with type 2 diabetes?
Central obesity High triglycerides Low HDL cholesterol High fasting glucose High blood pressure
What is impaired glucose tolerance?
More insulin secreted as insulin receptors lose sensitivity
How do adipocytes contribute to insulin resistance?
They secrete adipokines which increase insulin resistance and they inhibit secretion of adiponectin which increases insulin sensitivity