Genetics, Biochem Flashcards
Turner’s syndrome
Missing X (XO phenotype)
- -> lose ovarian follicles after birth “streak ovaries”
- -> increased LH, FSH
Symptoms:
- Short, shield chest, webbed neck
- Lymphedema: cystic hygroma (posterior triangle of neck) at birth–> lymph outflow problems
- CV malformations= coarctation of aorta, bicuspid aortic valve, aortic dissection
- Horseshoe kidney
- Dysgerminoma
- most common cause of primary amenorrhea
Leukocyte adhesion syndrome
Genetic CD18 deficiency–> no integrin formation–> leukocytes can’t migrate from vasculature
Symptoms:
- No pus formation
- Late separation of umbilicus
- Poor wound healing
Labs:
- Neutrophilia
MPO deficiency
Can’t produce H2O2
Neutrophils turn blue on nitro blue tetrazolium test
Normal NADPH activity: close to normal/normal immune system function
Chronic granulomatous disease
No NADPH oxidase
- No respiratory burst in neutrophils
Symptoms:
- Susceptible to catalase-positive infections (can break down H2O2 produced by MPO)= S. aureus, E. coli, aspergillus
Labs:
- Neutrophils don’t turn blue on nitro blue tetrazolium test
- Abnormal dihyrorhodamine (DHR) flow cytometry test)
Late complement component deficiency
Increased risk of Neisseria infection
Carbamoyl phosphate
- de Novo pyramidine synthesis
- Urea cycle
- Ornithine transcarbamoylase deficiency (OTC)–> accumulation of carbamoyl phosphate–> orotic acid
Hydroxyurea
Inhibits ribonucleotide reductase
- UDP can’t be converted to dUDP (CTP buildup)
6-mercaptopurine (6-MP)
Blocks PRPP amidotransferase–> blocks de novo purine synthesis
- Azathioprine–> 6-MP
- de novo purine synthesis requires Glycine, Aspartate, Glutamine (GAG) and THF (tetrahydrofolate)
- PRPP amidotransferase also inhibited by AMP, GMP, IMP, allopurinol
5-fluorouracil (5-FU)
Inhibits thymidylate synthase
–> can’t produce dTMP
“F U thymidylate synthase”
Methotrexate (MTX)
Inhibits dihydrofolate reductase
—> can’t produce dTMP
Supplement with Folinic acid (Leucovorin) to reverse methotrexate toxicity
Trimethoprim (TMP)
Inhibits BACTERIAL dihydrofolate reductase
–> can’t produce dTMP
Orotic aciduria
UMP synthase defect (autosomal recessive)
- Can’t convert orotic acid to UMP
Symptoms:
- Orotic acid in urine (NO hyperammonemia)
- Megaloblastic anemia (can’t help with B12 or folic acid)
- Failure to thrive
Tx:
- Oral uridine monophosphate administration
OTC deficiency
Ornithine transcarbamoylase deficiency (OTC)–> accumulation of carbamoyl phosphate–> orotic acid
Symptoms:
- Orotic acid in urine
- Megaloblastic anemia (can’t help with B12 or folic acid)
- Failure to thrive
- Hyperammonemia
Adenosine deaminase deficiency
- -> buildup of excess ATP, dATP–> feedback inhibition of ribonucleotide reductase–> inhibition of DNA synthesis
- -> decreased lymphocyte count (high turnover cells)–> SCID
Autosomal recessive
Lesch-Nyhan syndrome
Absence of HGPRT
- Normally converts hypoxanthine to IMP, guanine to GMP
–> excess uric acid, de novo purine synthesis
X-linked recessive
- Retardation, self-mutilation, aggression, hyperuricemia, gout, choreoathetosis
Missense mutation
Changed amino acid
- Conservative change: new amino acid is similar in chemical structure/function
Nonsense mutation
Early STOP codon (Stop the nonsense!)
Frameshift mutation
Changed from multiples of 3–> all nucleotides downstream misread
–> truncated, non-functional protein
Xeroderma pigmentosum
Nucleotide excision repair defect
- Can’t repair thimine (pyramidine) dimers formed due to UV exposure (bulky adducts)
HNPCC
Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer
- Mutation in mismatch repair (unable to repair mismatched Watson-Crick nucleotides)
Ataxia telangiectasia
Mutation in nonhomologous end joining (bring together 2 ends of broken dsDNA)
Start codon
AUG
- Eukaryotes= methionine (may be removed before translation completed)
- Prokaryotes= formylmethionine
Stop codons
UGA (U Go Away)
UAA (U Are Away)
UAG (U Are Gone)
** Does not code for Amino Acid–> stop codon causes Releasing Factor (RF) to bind to ribosome
Amatoxins
Mushroom poison
Inhibits RNA polymerase II= halts mRNA synthesis–> cell death
- Found in Amanita phalloides= “death cap mushrooms)
- Severe hepatotoxicity if ingested
RNA polymerases
Eukaryotes:
- RNA Pol I= rRNA
- RNA pol II= mRNA (opens DNA at promoter site)
- RNA pol III= tRNA
- No proofreading function
Prokaryotes:
- RNA polymerase= multisubunit complex (all 3 RNA types)
snRNPs
Splice pre-mRNA
- Make lariat that is spliced out (intron), 2 exons joined
** Lupus= antibodies to spliceosomal snRNPs
I-cell disease
Inclusion cell disease
- Failure to add mannose-6-phosphate to lysosome proteins (needed to traffic protein from golgi to lysosome)
- Lysosome enzymes secreted outside cell instead of to lysosome
Symptoms:
- Coarse facial features
- Clouded corneas
- Restricted joint movement
- High plasma levels of lysosomal enzymes
- Fatal in childhood
Chediak-Higashi syndrome
Mutation in lysosomal trafficking regulator gene (LYST)
- Need LYST for microtubular sorting of endosomal proteins–> late multivesicular endosomes
Symptoms:
- Pyogenic infections (defective destruction of bacteria)
- Partial albinism (can’t transport melanin)
- Peripheral neuropathy (can’t transport proteins)
Kartagener’s syndrome
Dynein (retrograde + –> - microtubule movement) arm defect in cilia
Symptoms:
- Male infertility (immotile sperm)
- decreased female fertility
- Bronchiectasis
- Recurrent sinusitis
- Associated with situs inversus (reversed organs)
Osteogenesis imperfecta
Type I collagen defect
- Type I collagen= Bone, skin, tendon, dentin, fascia, cornea, wound repair
Pathogenesis:
- Normal: Glycosylation of pro-alpha-chain hydroxylysine residues, formation of procollagen (H- and S-S bonds)–> triple helix
- OI= problem with formation of triple helix in Endoplasmic reticulum
Autosomal dominant (incomplete penetrance)
Symptoms:
- Multiple fractures with minimal trauma
- Blue sclerae (translucent connective tissue over choroidal vins)
- Hearing loss (abnL middle ear bones)
- Dental issues (lack of dentin= type I collagen)
Ehlers Danlos
Type III collagen defect
- Type III collagen= reticulin (skin, blood vessels, uterus, fetal tissue, granulation tissue)
- Normal: Covalent lysine-hydroxylysine cross linkage (by Cu+2- containing lysyl oxidase)–> collagen fibrils
- Ehlers Danlos= unable to cross link (reinforce tropocollagen triple helix molecules in ECM)
- Lysyl oxidase requires copper, can be inhibited by sweet pea ingestion
Symptoms:
- Hyperextensible skin
- Tendency to bleed (vessel wall defects)
- Hypermobile joints
- Can be associated with joint dislocation, berry aneurysms, organ rupture
- Mitral valve prolapse
Alport syndrome
Type IV collagen defect
- type IV collagen= basement membrane, basal lamina of kidneys, ears, eyes
X-linked recessive (boys)
Symptoms:
- Progressive nephritis
- Deafness
- Ocular disturbances
Scurvy
Vit C (ascorbic acid) deficiency:
- Hydroxylation of proline and lysine residues on Collagen (in rough ER) requires ascorbic acid
- Vit C deficiency–> defective collagen
Features:
- Malnourished
- Gingival bleeding
- Petechiae
- Ecchymoses
- Perifollicular hemorrhage
- Poor wound healing
Southern blot
DNA: electrophoresis
- Filtered on paper
- Radiolabeled DNA probe anneals to complementary strand
Northern blot
RNA: electrophoresis
- Filtered on paper
- Radiolabeled RNA probe anneals to complementary strand
- Useful for studying mRNA
Western blot
Protein: electrophoresis
- Labeled antibody binds protein
Southwestern blot
DNA-binding proteins (transcription factors)
- ID using labeled oligonucleotide probes
ELISA
Enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay
- Indirect= looking for antibodies in patient’s blood (ex: anti-HIV) by adding antigens
- Direct= looking for the antigen in patient’s blood (ex: HIV particles) by adding antibodies
RNA interference
dsRNA complementary to mRNA sequence of interest added to human cells (transfection)
–> dsRNA separates, binds and promotes degradation of target mRNA–> knock down gene expression
Variable expressivity
Phenotype varies among individuals with same genotype (ex: NF-1)
- Heteroplasmy= presence of normal and mutated mtDNA–> variable expression of mitochondrial inherited disease (ex: Ragged red fiber)
Pleiotropy
One gene–> multiple phenotypic effects
Ex: PKU–> unrelated symptoms (hair/skin changes, mental retardation)
Imprinting
Gene expression depends on whether gene came from paternal or maternal origin
Ex: 15q partial deletion
- Praeder-Willi= paternal not expressed; maternal 15q partial deletion
- Angelman= maternal not expressed
Dominant negative mutation
Heterozygote produces nonfunctional altered protein–> prevents normal protein function
Linkage disequilibrium
alleles at 2 linked loci occur together more often than expected by chance
** measure in population, not family
Achondroplasia
AD
Cell-signaling defect of FGF receptor 3
–> dwarfism with normal trunk
- Advanced paternal age
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease
- 85% of cases show mutation in PKD 1 gene on chromosome 16 (40s-50s, worse outcome)
» Protein = polycystin-1
– 15% of cases show mutation in PKD 2 gene on chromosome 4 (70s-80s, better prognosis)
» Protein = polycystin-2 – Both proteins reside in tubular cell cilia
» Defects affect calcium signaling
» Mutations result in abnormal renal tubular growth
** associated with polycystic liver disease, berry aneurysms, mitral valve prolapse
Familial adenomatous polyposis
AD
Mutations on chrom 5 (APC gene)
- Colon covered in polyps after puberty; colon must be ressected to prevent progression to cancer
Familial hypercholesterolemia (hyperlipidemia type IIA)
AD
Defective/absent LDL receptor–> elevated LDL, cholesterol
- Heterozygote: cholesterol= 300
- Homozygote: cholesterol= 700
Severe atherosclerosis, tendon xanthomas
Corneal arcus
MI before age 20
Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (Osler-Weber-Rendu)
AD
Disorder of blood vessels
Telangiectasias, AVM
Hereditary spherocytosis
AD
Spectrin or ankyrin defect–> spheroid erythrocytes
- Increased MCHC
- Splenectomy= curative
Huntington’s disease
AD
CAG trinucleotide repeat on Chrom 4
- Decreased GABA, Ach in brain
Multiple endocrine neoplasias (MEN)
AD
MEN1= pituitary, pancreatic, parathyroid tumor (3 Ps, diamond)
MEN2A= Parathyroid, medullary thyroid, pheochromocytoma (2 Ps, square)
- Defect in ret gene (tyrosine kinase)
MEN2B= Medullary thyroid, pheochromocytoma, oral mucosal neuroma (1 P, triangle)
- Defect in ret gene (tyrosine kinase)
Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (von Recklinghausen’s)
AD
Long arm of chrom 17
- Cafe au lait, neural tumors, Lisch nodules, optic pathway gliomas
Neurofibromatosis Type 2
AD
NF gene on chrom 22
- Bilateral acoustic Schwanomas, juvenile cataracts
Tuberous sclerosis
AD
TSC1, TSC2
Facial lesions: hypopigmented "ash leaf spots" Coritcal, retinal hamartomas Seizures, mental retardation Renal cysts, angiomyolipomas Cardiac rhabdomyomas Increased astrocytomas