Genetics Flashcards
Penetrance
Proportion of individuals with mutation who develop disease
Most diseases have incomplete penetrance
Incomplete penetrance may be due to genetic modifiers
Penetrance can be age-dependent
Variable Expressivity
Same gene associated with range of phenotypic severity
Expressivity may be age-dependent
Variable expressivity may be due to genetic modifiers
Example: Neurofibromatosis type 1 can be associated with range of disease severity from very mild to severe
Pleiotropy
Same gene/mutation can cause multiple different phenotypes
Locus heterogeneity
Many different genes can cause the same disease
Related term is allelic heterogeneity, referring to different mutations in same gene causing same disease
Imprinting
Mutation causes disease dependent on parent-of-origin
Sometimes will skip generations
Paternal imprinting: Paternal copy of gene is normally imprinted or silenced. Mutation must be inherited from mother to cause disease. Example: Angelman syndrome (can be 2/2 maternal uniparental disomy)
Maternal imprinting Maternal copy of gene is normally imprinted or silenced. Mutation must be inherited from father to cause disease. Example: Prader Willi syndrome (can be 2/2 paternal uniparental disomy)
Polygenic
1000s of genetic variants in the genome each contribute a small amount to disease risk
Often have strong environmental component
Typically won’t show classic Mendelian inheritance patterns
Example: Late onset Alzheimer’s disease
De novo
New mutations that arise in an individual•No family history
Severe, autosomal dominant disorders that are highly penetrant generally are de novo
Mitochondrial inheritance
Mutations in the mitochondrial genome
Are transmitted from mother to child
Demonstrate heteroplasmy: variable proportions of mitochondria carry mutation among cells
There are also mitochondrial genes encoded in the nuclear genome which don’t follow this pattern
Example: MT-TL1 mutations causing MELAS
Testing for structural variants
Karotype: Aneuplodies, major chsmal rearrangements
FISH: Tests for specific submicroscopic chsmal rearrangements, dels, and dups
Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH): Test for copy number variants via flurophobes
Chromosal microarray: Test for copy number variants by looking for regions with more or less DNA content than expected
Testing for SNPs
Whole genome sequencing
Whole exome sequencing
Gene panels
Genetic testing for repeat expansions
MC via Southern blot
Usually need to order a specialized test for a given repeat expansion
Genetic testing for mitochondrial DNA
- Specialized next generation sequencing methods to identify mtDNA
- Often done from biopsied tissues (e.g., muscle)
- Note that nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes are detected by other methods
Fragile X syndrome
ID
XLR
Due to CGG repeat in FMR1
Normal: 6-55 repeats
Premutation and FXAS: 55-200
Fragile X when repeat length>200
MOA: Repeat expansion leads to epigenetic changes locally and altered FMR1expression.
Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS)
ID
Presents in males (and sometimes females) in late-life (after age 50)
Tremor resembling essential tremor
Cerebellar Ataxia +/- cognitive and parkinsonian features
About ¼ of female carriers have premature ovarian failure.
Due to CGG repeat in FMR1 in the “premutation” range of 55-200
FXTAS imaging findings
Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome
ID
DHCR7 mutations (AR)->Deficiency of the enzyme 7-dehydroxycholesterol reductase -> altered cholesterol synthesis
ID, behavioral issues (self-injurious behavior), autism
Microcephaly, facial dysmorphism: ptosis, micrognathia, temporal narrowing, cleft palate, epicanthal folds
Growth retardation
Rett Syndrome
ID
XLD, MECP2 gene
Normal development from 0-6 months -> head growth deceleration at 3 mo-4yo ->Developmental regression ~1-4 yo: loss of purposeful hand movements and speech, social withdrawal, stereotypic hand movements (“washing” or “wringing”), gait dyspraxia, epilepsy
Prader-Willi syndrome
ID
Occurs in the setting of maternal imprinting where maternal copy of gene/chsm 15 is silenced
Can be 2/2 deletion of paternal arm of chsm 15, maternal isodisomy, imprinting defect. All can be detected via genetic methylation studies.
Clinical features: Neonatal hypotonia, hyperphagia, rapid eight gain, hypogonadism, developmental delay
Angelman syndrome
Occurs in the setting of paternal imprinting, where paternal copy of gene is slence
Can be 2/2 deletion of maternal arm of chr15, paternal isodisomy, mutation is UBE3A, impriting defect
Clinical features: Developmental delay, movement disorder (gait ataxia, tremor), behavioral abnormalities: frequent laughing, smiling, hand flapping, little or no spoken language, seizures
Familial hemiplegic migraines
Channelopathy
Genetics: Can be familial or sporadic. Most often mutations in ATP1A2 or CACNA1A, less commonly SCN1A (also implicated in Dravet)
Episodic Ataxia Type 1
Channelopathy
Due to mutations in KCNA1 (AD)
Episodic Ataxia Type 2
Channelopathy
Due to mutations in CACNA1A (AD)
50% of patients with EA2 have hemiplegic migraine
Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis
Channelopathy
SCN4A (AD) mutations are most common
Hypokalemic periodic paralysis
Channelopathy
CACNA1S or SCN4A mutations, typically AD
Myotonia congenita
Mutations in CLCN1 (AD)
Paramyotonia congenita
Mutations in SCN4A (AD)
Huntington’s disease
Trinucleotide repeat
AD with variable penetrance
Due to CAG repeat expansion in HTT: < 28 repeats is normal, 28-35: no symptoms but the next generation is at small risk to develop expansion into disease-causing range, 36-39 are incompletely penetrant with later age of onset, >40 is fully penetrant
Age of onset ranges from childhood to the eighth decade, but most common in mid-life.
Presymptomatic testing only after extensive counseling of an at-risk patient (i.e., positive family history)
Westphal variant - occurs in adolescence, usually inherited from father
Spinobulbar muscular atrophy (Kennedy’s disease)
Trinucleotide repeat
CAG repeat in androgen receptor; X-linked recessive
X-linked motor neuron disease with slower progression than ALS -> weakness and atrophy affecting facial, bulbar, and limb muscles.Often mild signs of feminization (gynecomastia, reduced fertility, testicular atrophy)
Usual onset of symptoms 20-30 Important to consider in younger males with signs of motor neuron disease.
Spinocerebellar ataxias
Trinucleotide repeaet
AD inheritance
1,2,3,6, and 7 are CAG expansions
1,2,3,6 are MC
6 due to CAG expansion in CACNA1A
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (Machado-Joseph disease)
Trinucleotide repeat
CAG repeat in ATXN3 (AD)
Friedreich ataxia
Trinucleotide repeat
Autosomal recessive GAA repeat in FXN (sometimes referred to as FRDA gene)
Involved in regulating mitochondrial iron content
Spinal muscular atrophy
Biallelic deletions or mutations in SMN1 (AR)
Mutation in SMN2 can lead to variable production of functional SMN2 protein that can compensate for SMN1 loss
CMT1
Majority are due to duplication of PMP22 - AD
Other genes: MPZ, LITAF, ERG2, NEFL
Hereditary neuropathy with pressure palsies (HNPP)
Due to PMP22 deletions and point mutations - AD
CMT2
Most commonly due to MFN2 mutations (AD or AR)
Hereditary spastic paraplegia
Due to length-dependent degeneration of corticospinal tract axons
Can be AD, AR, or XLR
Multiple genes implicated