Genetic Basis of Disease Flashcards
Genetic Disease
Disease caused by defects in genes
Not all genetic diseases are congenital
Some only manifest in adulthood
Heritable Disease
Diseases transmitted in the germline cells derived from one’s parents
Aka “familial”
Congenital Disease
“born with”
Not always genetic (eg. can have congenital infectious disease)
Veratrum californicum
(in sheep)
Ingestion of plant at days gestation:
13-14 = synophthalmia (cyclopia)
17-18 = motor nerve paralysis
12-30 = multiple defects
> 30 = hypoplastic metacarpus and metatarsus
Mutagen
A physical or chemical agent which changes DNA resulting in an increased incidence of mutation
Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis
Autosomal dominant inheritance
Sodium channel point mutation:
“leaky” channel leading to influx of K during hyperkalemia
Muscle becomes overly excitable and contracts involuntarily
Dietary changes, fasting, anesthesia, illness and exercise restriction can bring on attacks
Genetic Defects
3 main types:
Single gene disorders
Chromosomal aberrations
Multiple genes
Single Gene Disorders
Can involve somatic or germline cells
Involve mutations in DNA of a single gene
Four types of single gene disorders
Silent
Missense
Nonsense
indels: Insertion–deletion mutations
Silent mutation
still have same amino acids, will make same protein, no real change in phenotype… a base change did take place and there is mutation but we may never know it is there (nbd)
Missense mutation
have a mutation that changes codon so now changing entirely different amino acid. may fold differntly, may not function at all, will change phentoype of animal.
Nonsense
foolishness. encode a premature stop codon. end up allele that may not encode protein or a shortened one and may or may not be functional (happens often, won’t work).
Frameshift Insertion
get an insertion of nucleotide so that codon sequence is thrown off and end up altering reading frame of gene, may end up with premature stop, encoding differnt amino acids, and a very differnt protein
Frameshift deletion
lose a nucleotide, altered reading frame, encoding different amino acids
Deletion, Non-frameshift
remove exactly 3 nucleotide. cutting a chunk out of the middle.
Outcomes of Single Gene Mutations
Formation of abnormal protein
Reduction in synthesis of a protein
Formation of abnormal protein without impairing any steps in protein synthesis
Change in rate of synthesis, posttranslational processing, protein transport out of cell
Point mutations
silence, missense, nonsense
frameshift mutation
insertion, deletion
Main Modes of Inheritance
Autosomal recessive
Autosomal dominant
X-linked
Mechanisms of Single Gene Disorders
Enzyme defects
Defects in membrane receptors and transport systems
Alterations in structure, function or amount of non-enzyme proteins
Mutations resulting in unususal reactions to drugs
chromosomal aberrations
duplication, inversion, deletion, insertion, translocation
Major categories of congenital defects
- Failure to develop completely
- Failure of a part to close or coalesce
- Defects of closure of abdominal wall
- persistent vestigial or embryonic structures
- Supernumerary organs and duplications
- abnormal location: ectopic, aberrant
- Improper mixture of tissues
- Generalized defects
- Cellular or enzymatic defects
Major Causes of Congenital Defects
Genetic
Environmental – teratogens
Genetic + environmental (multifactorial)
Environmental causes of Congenital Defects
Chemicals (Alcohol-fetal alcohol syndrome)
Drugs (Thalidomide)
Plants
Radiation
Teratogen: Infectious agents (Viruses: Feline parvovirus, Bovine viral diarrhea virus, Bluetongue virus)