Lecture 1 - Inheritance Flashcards
Deoxyribonucleic Acid
- double helix
- four chemical ‘bases’
- Adenine, Thymine (2x H bonds)
- Cytosine, Guanine (3x H bonds)
- bases are attached to 2x phosphate backbones
- DNA is tightly packed (space saving)
- 3.2b bases in the human genome
DNA packaging
- DNA+RNA+Protein = Chromatin
- main chromatin protein: Histones
- DNA wound around histones 2x = Nucleosome
- Nucleosomes organised into SOLENOIDS
- SOLENOIDS loop into chromatin
Histones
- made up of 8 proteins: H2A, H2B, H3 and H4
- H1 is a LINKER HISTONE: binds to DNA entry and exit sites of the nucleosome
- DNA is wound around each histone twice
Chromatin
- Euchromatin: open, prevalent in parts of the genome that are regularly used
- Heterochromatin: condensed, not active in expression
Chromosomes
- two identical chromatids
- p arm = short, q arm = long
- centromere in the centre
- 22 autosomes and 2 sex chromosomes = 24
Human cells
- Haploid: 23 chromosomes (inc 1 sex chromosome)
- Diploid: 46 chromosomes (inc 2 sex chromosomes)
Genes
- basic physical unit of heredity
- vary in length: 100s - >2.5m bases
- approx 20,000-23,000 genes in human genome
- why fewer genes than expected? alternative splicing, alternative post translational modification
Genes to proteins
- RNA and protein synthesis
- transcription - translation
- degenerate code (more than one codon/aa)
- non overlapping
- 64 codons in total
- stop codons implicated in disease (premature stop)
When you have a premature stop codon
No protein is generated
Nonsense mediated decay, NMD surveillance pathway, cell eliminates incorrect mRNA
Transcription: DNA-> RNA
- RNA polymerase is the main transcription enzyme
- RNA pol binds to a PROMOTER SEQUENCE near the beginning of a gene (directly or through helper proteins)
- RNA pol uses one of the DNA strands (the TEMPLATE strand) to make a complementary RNA molecule (PRIMARY RNA)
- Transcription ends in TERMINATION which depends on stop codon in the DNA sequence
Difference between DNA and RNA
- RNA single stranded
- Uracil instead of Thymine
RNA processing
Primary RNA is modified before it leaves the nucleus
- splicing
- capping
- polyadenylation
RNA capping
- 5’ end is capped with 7-methylguanosine
- capping precedes other modifications that protect the mRNA from RNAses
Poly A tails
- protect the 3’ end from phosphatases and nucleases
- approx 200 nucleotides
- necessary for nuclear export
Splicing
- removes introns
- snRPS spliceosomal proteins (U1, U2, U4, U5, U6) bind to the preMRNA
- mRNA is removed in a lariat
- the 2 exons are ligated to make mature mRNA
Translation
- occurs in the cytoplasm on a ribosome
- Initiation: ribosome connects the mRNA with the first tRNA, translation begins
- Elongation: amino acids on the tRNAs are linked
- Termination: finished polypeptide is released and folds
Junk DNA
- genes only 2% DNA
- rest of genome is mostly repetitive sequences
- can be short repeated segments or long repeats of 1000s of bases repeated 100s of times
- some junk DNA plays a role in gene regulation
Introns/Intragenic regions
- non coding regions within genes
- can regulate expression
Intergenic regions
- genome segments between genes
- can regulate expression
Mitochondrial DNA (genome)
- 16.6kb codes mtDNA
- codes 37 genes
- 2x rRNA
- 22 transfer RNA
- 13 protein subunits for enzymes (eg cytb and cyt oxidase - used in oxidative phosphorylation)
- mtDNA different from nuclear DNA
- encodes genes necessary for mitochondrial function
Mitochondria inherited exclusively from the oocyte leading to a maternal pattern of inheritance that characterises mitochondrial disorders
Mitosis
- rapid cell division leading to an adult human 10(14) somatic cells
- two identical diploid cells are formed from a single diploid cell
- Prophase: chromosomes condense, spindle is formed, nuclear envelope disintegrates
- Metaphase: chromosomes connect to spindle, align on the metaphase plate
- Anaphase: centromeres split, chromosomes separate and move to opposite poles
- Telophase: chromosomes cluster at poles and nuclear and organelle envelopes reform
- Cytokinesis: contractile actin ring divides the cell
Meiosis
- gametes produce genetically different organism on fertilisation
- 2 steps: produced 4 genetically different haploid cells
- contain a single set of 23 chromosomes
- spermatogenesis or oogenesis
- Meiosis I: reduction division, 46 to 23
- Meiosis II: equational division, 23 to 23 (duplication)
Variation during meiosis
- crossing over: of maternal and paternal chromosomes
- independent assortment: maternal and paternal chromosomes split across the spindle
- errors in DNA replication
Consequences of variation
- changes in protein structure and function
- natural variatio (eye colour, height etc)
- inherited/genetic disease (huntingtons, downs, CF)