Genetics MCQ Flashcards
After genome-wide linkage analysis to map a disease locus we obtained a max LOD SCORE of 2 at theta 0 for a specific marker. What is the probability of linkage (marker-disease locus) vs no linkage?
100:1
In a given population the frequency of males affected by hemophilia is 1/100. If the population is in Hardy Weinberg equilibrium, what is the probability of having affected females?
(1/100)^2 = 1/1000
Relevant numbers about the human haploid genome, number of chromosomes, number of genes…?
3 billion base pairs, 46 chromosomes, 25000 genes
What is a backcross?
Is a type of breeding experiment used in genetics where an offspring is crossed with one of its parents or and individual genetically similar. It is done to isolate a desired trait, study inheritance patterns.
What were the main goals of the human genome project?
- Determine the DNA sequence of human genome and put it in some public database.
- Develop new technologies to make sequencing process more efficient.
- Identify DNA variations.
- Interpret the function of DNA on a genomic scale.
- Compare human DNA with DNA of lab animals.
- Reading human DNA in order to prevent the onset of diseases
- Apply new bioinformatics tools.
- Create a new generation of scientists.
Define the key features of a molecular marker…?
Markers present in the DNA sequence, easy to detect via PCR, lots of polymorphisms (common >1%), codominant in nature.
Explain the concept of incomplete dominance..?
A type of inheritance in which one allele for a specific trait is not completely dominant over the other allele. This results in
combined phenotype. When both alleles of a gene are expressed, give rise to a new blended phenotype.
What is the likely consequences of a nonsense mutation in the last exon of a gene?
The premature stop codon will be considered physiological and translation will halt, leading to a truncated protein.
What is the probability for a carrier couple to have 2 consecutive affected offspring?
1/16
What do we mean with F1 generation? What are the expected genotypes?
First filial generation. Gametes from parents. Genotype Aa
What do we mean with F2 generation? What are the expected genotypes?
Second filial generation. Crossing F1 individuals, obtaining 3:1 ratio (dominant: recessive), AA, Aa, aa.
How many cells in a Punnett square for trihybrid crosses?
2^3 = 8, 8x8=64
What are the mechanisms through which loss of a function mutation can be dominant?
Through haploinsufficiency (when one wt copy of the gene isn’t enough to yield sufficient product) & dominant negative affect (altered gene product acts antagonistically to that of the wt allele), gain of toxic function.
What is the probability for a carrier couple to have 2 consecutive affected SONS ?
1/64
What are the typical effects of mutations in tumor suppressor and oncogenes?
In oncogenes, leads to gain of function (uncontrolled cell growth), in tumor suppressor leads to loss of function (no apoptosis/inhibition of cell growth), favors tumor growth
What is linkage disequilibrium?
Refers to the non-random association of alleles at different loci. It occurs when the combination of alleles or genetic markers in a population is different from what would be expected if the loci were independently assorting according to Mendelian genetics.
What odd ratio indicates in populational risk?
Probability of having the disease in respect to the population.
What is the effect of transplantation of paternal haploid pronucleus into a haploid androgenic cell?
UPD (uniparental disomy)
What are the 5 conditions of HW equilibrium?
Big population, random mating, absence of migratory flux, no new mutations and selective pressure on genotype
What is whole exome sequencing?
When technology is used to sequence only the exons of the genome with the aid of primers that identify exons via hybridization to them.
What is genomic imprinting?
It is the different expression of paternal and maternal copies of some gene.
What are homeobox genes?
Master regulators of development. A family of genes that determine the formation of body parts during embryonic development.
What is heterochromatin?
Very close areas of the chromosomes that are not supposed to be transcribed so these areas are inaccessible to RNA polymerase.
What are the peculiar features of HD?
Anticipation, autosomal dominant, fully penetrant, dynamic mutation disease.
How can CGH resolution be increased?
Through the use of microarrays in conjuction with CGH technology. The more specific of array CGH has been developed allowing for a
locus-by-locus measure of CNV with increased resolution as low as 100 kb
What is the average size of chromosomal band?
10 Mb
What is loss of heterozygosity?
Loss of one allele at a specific locus, caused by deletion mutation or loss of one chromosome from a pair, resulting in abnormal hemizygosity.
Describe the experiment of Mary Lyon?
Experiment with RBC culture demonstrated that the Barr body formation occurred randomly in cells.
When do Prader Willi Syndrome appear as fully penentrant?
When it’s inherited from the father.
Splicing mutation to skip on exon always associated with frameshift, why?
Nutation in the splice site allows for one/more introns to remain in the mature RNA, changing the number of nucleotides. It’s like an sinertion, leading to production of abnormal proteins
What molecular cause Bombay?
Homozygous recessive (hh) gene that impedes production of A/B proteins, causing AB blood types to test as 0.
Definition of SNP?
Variation of a single nucleotide base in DNA sequence, commonly
occurs in the population, is not pathogenic.
Do X and Y recombine? How?
They recombine ar the pseudoautosomal region. They recombine during pairing in meiosis I, crossing over, segregation.
Definition of an allele?
Alternative forms of genes that rise by mutation and are found at the
same place on a chromosome.
Four different species for genetics studies:..?
Drosophila, yeast, mouse, c. elegans
Ratio of yellow peas in F2 in dihybrid crosses:..?
(9+3/16) = ¾
Definition of monohybrid:..?
Breeding experiment between P generation (parental) organisms that differ in one trait.
Characteristic of mendelian pea’s:..?
Clear phenotypes, pure breeding lines, not linked, inheritance is not blended.
What is a reciprocal and unbalanced translocation?
When non-homologous chromosomes break and exchange fragments (eg. Philadelphia translocation).
Why can we define the genetic code as degenerative?
Because there are 64 possible triplets coding for 20 aa. Redundancy, more than one codon can code for the same aa.
What is haploinsufficiency?
Diploid organism has a single functional copy, 50% of gene
product is not enough to keep the wt phenotype, so it gives rise to the disease. One wt gene product is not sufficient to produce enough product.