Lecture 11 Flashcards
What are some environmental agents that damage DNA
Environmental agents such as UV light, ionizing radiation and some chemical agents can damage DNA.
What are mutations
alterations in the DNA structure that can produce permanent changes in the genetic information encoded if they are not repaired.
What mutation causes sickle cell anemia?
Glu6 -> Val change in hemoglobin
How can mutations be silent
if they are in non-essential regions of the DNA, or have a negligible effect on the gene
How can mutation in genes that encode proteins that control cell cycle and DNA repair can lead to cancer if not repaired?
For example, mutations could inactivate tumor suppressor proteins, which control cell growth, or could over-activate oncogene products that stimulate cell growth, with both types of mutations leading to uncontrolled cell growth. Mutations in genes that encode for DNA repair proteins means that natural errors are not repaired, increasing the chance of mutations in tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes
What are the two types of mutations
- Point mutations: substitution of one base pair for another because of base mismatches usually caused by modification/damage of bases
- Insertions/deletions of one or more base (“indels”) often generated by “DNA intercalating” agent
Which DNA pol has 3->5 proof reading fxns
1,2, and 3
How does base mismatch usually occur
when the template base has been modified (damaged) so that its H-bond donor/acceptor arrangement now favors a base other than the one it normally pairs with. If this error isn’t corrected, this strand will now direct an incorrect base to incorporate during DNA replication, when it is used as a template.
Two types of base substitution?
Transition and tranversion
What is transition?
The most common base modifications result in replacement of one purine (e.g., G for A) by another purine or of one pyrimidine by another pyrimidine (e.g., C for T).
- e.g., G becomes modified such that it now base pairs with the pyrimidine T instead of the pyrimidine C.
What is transversion?
Less frequently a purine is replaced by a pyrimidine or vice versa - called a tranversion
-e.g., G becomes modified such that it now base pairs with A instead of C – the pyrimidine C has been replaced with the purine A.
When happens when the modification (e.g., G ->G) is not quickly repaired by cellular DNA repair enzymes, and DNA pol I or III don’t catch the resulting mismatch (GT)
change will be introduced into the daughter strand and become permanent -> a mutation.
What mutations are caused by chemical mutagens that modify bases
- deamination (removes an amine group)
- alkylation (adds a methyl or ethyl group, usually to purines)
What are deanimating agents? Example?
- deaminates aromatic primary amines (induces a mutation from A-T to G-C)
e. g. nitrous acid
Treatment of DNA with nitrous acid results in deamination of adenine, what is the product?
Hypoxanthine
What does hypoxanthine base pair with and why?
base pairs with cytosine because it can form two of guanines’ three H-bonds with cytosine
How is nitrous acid formed
formed from organic precursors such as nitrites
Can deanimation occur spontaneously?
Cytosine can become deaminated to form uracil, resulting in a C-G -> to T-A transition
(C-G -> U-G -> U-A -> T-A)
How are deanimated bases repaired?
Base excision repair
What are three alkylating agents
- ethylnitrosourea
- dimethlysulfate
- dimethylnitrosamine (found in food preservatives)
Which reactive oxygen species produced by normal cellular metabolism can cause DNA alkylation?
superoxide ion .O2-, hydroxide radial .OH