Genetics Flashcards
Most common cause of inherited intelectual disability and autism
Fragile X syndrome
Clinical findings in FXS
- Post-pubertal
- Macroorchidism
- Long face with large jaws
- Large everted ears
- Autism
- MVP
Gene affected in FXS and where is it
FMR1 in the long arm of the X chromosome
Trinucleotide repeat in FXS
CGG (“Chin giant gonads”)
When in cell division can trinucleotide repeats expand in FXS
Oocyte meiosis
How many repeats are needed for a full mutation in FXS
More tan 200
Genetic consequence of CGG trinucleotide repeat in FXS
Hypermethylation
Missing gene in Turner syndrome resulting in short stature
SHOX gene
Classic presentation in neurofibromatosis type 1
- Café-au-lait spots
- Lisch nodules (iris hamartomas)
- Cutaneous neurofibromas
- Pheochromocytomas
- Optic gliomas
*Can also present with bony abnormalitis such as congenital pseudoarthrosis
Inheritance pattern of neurofribromatosis type 1
Autosomal dominant
Affected gene on neurofibromatosis type 1
NF1 gene on chromosome 17
Define codominance
Both alleles contribute to the phenotype of the heterozygote
*eg, blood groups
Define variable expressivity
Patients with the same genotype have varying phenotypes
*eg, 2 pts with NF1 may have varying disease severity
Define incomplete penetrance
Not all individuals with a mutant genotype show the mutant phenotype
*eg, BRCA1 gene mutations do not always result in breast or ovarian cancer
Define pleiotropy
When one gene contributes to multiple phenotypic effects
*eg, untreated PKU manifests with light skin, intellectual disability, and musty body odor
Define anticipation
Increased severity or earlier onset of disease in succeeding generations
*eg, trinucleotide repeat diseases
Define loss of heterozygosity
If a patient inherits or develops a mutation in a tumor supressor gene, the complementary allele must be deleted/mutated before cancer develops
*eg, retinoblastoma and the “2-hit hypothesis”, Lynch syndrome (HNPCC), Li-Fraumeni syndrome
Define a dominant negative mutation
When a heterozygote produces a nonfunctional altered protein that also prevents the normal gene product from functioning
*eg, mutation of a transcription factor in its allosteric site (nonfunctional mutant can still bind DNA, preventing wild-type transcription factor from binding)
Define linkage disequilibrium
Tendency for certain alleles at 2 linked loci to occur together more or less often than expected by chance
*Measured in a population
Define mosaicism
Presence of genetically distinct cell lines in the same individual
Define somatic mosaicism
When the mutation arises from mitotic errors after fertilization and propagates through multiple tissues or organs
Define gonadsl mosaicism
When the mutation appears only in egg or sperm cells
Pathogenesis of McCune-Albright syndrome
Mutation affecting G-protein signaling
Signs and symptoms of McCune-Albright syndrome
Triad:
- Café-au-lait spots with ragged edges (follow lines of Blashko)
- Polyostotic fibrous dysplasia
- At least 1 endocrinopathy (eg, precocious puberty)
*Survivable in patients with mosaicism
Define locus heterogeneity
Mutations in different loci can produce a similar phenotype (eg, albinism)
Allelix heterogeneity
Different mutations in the same locus produce the same phenotype (eg, beta thalassemia)
Define heteroplasmy
Presence of both normal and mutated mtDNA, resulting in variable expression of a mitochondrial disease
Define uniparental disomy
Offspring receives 2 copies of a chromosome from 1 parent and no copies from the other parent
Type of uniparental disomy that reflects an error in meiosis 1
Heterodisomy
Type of uniparental disomy that reflects an error in meiosis 2
Isodisomy
What is the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium formula
p2 + 2pq + q2 and p
What is the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium formula
p2 + 2pq + q2 and p + q = 1
- P2 is the frequency of homozygosity for allele A
- Q2 is the frequency if homozygosity for allele a
- 2PQ is the frequency of heterozygosity
Affected chromosome in Prader-Willi and Angelman syndromes
Chromosome 15
Pathogenesis of Prader-Willi syndrome
Gene from mother is imprinted while the paternal gene is deleted/mutated
Signs and symptoms of Prader-Willi syndrome
- Hyperphagia
- Obesity
- Intellectual disability
- Hypogonadism
- Hypotonia
Percentage of cases of Prader-Willi syndrome due to maternal uniparental disomy
25%
Pathogenesis of Angelman syndrome
Paternal gene is normally imprinted, and maternal gene is deleted/mutated
Signs and symptoms of Angelman syndrome
- Inappropite laughter
- Seizures
- Ataxia
- Severe intellectual disability
Percentage of cases of Angelman syndrome that are due to paternal uniparental disomy
5%
Mode of inheritance of hypophosphatemic rickets
X-linked dominant
Pathogenesis of hypophosphatemic rickets
Increased phosphate wasting at proximal tubule
Characteristic histopathologic finding seen in mitochondrial myopathies
Ragged red fibers
Signs and symptoms common to mitochondrial myopathies
- Myopathy
- Lactic acidosis
- CNS disease
Mode of inheritance of cystic fibrosis
Autosomal recessive
Defective gene in cystic fibrosis
CFTR on chromosome 7
Most common mutation in cystic fibrosis
Deletion of Phe508 leads to misfolding of the protein and its retention in the RER
Normal function of the CFTR (abnormal protein in cystic fibrosis)
It is an ATP-gated Cl- channel that secretes Cl- in lungs and GI tract and reabsorbs Cl- in sweat glands
Pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis
Retained CFTR causes decreased Cl- and water secretion, leading to increased intracelular Cl- and compensatory increased Na reabsorption - This causes increased water reabsorption and abnormally thick mucus
Laboratory diagnosis of cystic fibrosis
Increased Cl- concentration (more tan 60 mEq/l) in sweat
Cystic fibrosis increases susceptibility to which bacterial infection
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Cystic fibrosis increases resistance to which bacterial infection
Salmonella typhi
Complications that are usually seen in cystic fibrosis
- Recurrent pulmonary infections, chronic sinusitis, and bronchiectasis
- Pancreatic insufficiency
- Infertility in men (abscence of vas deferens) and subfertility in women (thick cervical mucus)
- Nasal polyps
- Clubbing of the nails
Type of mutation commonly seen in Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Frameshift mutation (and nonsense)
*This leads to a truncated or absent dystrophin protein
Mutated protein in Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Dystrophin
*Largest protein-coding human gene, increases chance of spontaneous mutations
Mode of inheritance of Duchenne muscular dystrophy
X-linked
Signs and symptoms of Duchenne muscular dystrophy
- Weakness of pelvic girdle muscles (progresses superiorly)
- Onset before 5 years of age
- Pseudohypertrophy of calf muscles (fibrofatty replacement)
- Waddling gait (duck-like walk, trunk sways side to side with wide base of support)
- Dilated cardiomyopathy (common cause of death)
Normal function of dystrophin
Anchors the actin cytoskeleton of muscle fibers to the transmembrane proteins alpha and beta dystroglycan, which are connected to the extracelular matrix
Laboratory findings seen in Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Increased CK and aldolase
*Loss of dystrophin results in myonecrosis