Lecture 15 Flashcards
what is ADNFLE epilepsy?
autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal epolepsy
what is ADNFLE epilepsy characterized by?
interfamilial variability, so we have a heterogenous onset, severity, and symptoms → seizures occur during sleep, in particular during the non-REM phase (a specific phase of nocturnal sleep)
what type of inheritance is ADNFLE epilepsy characterized by?
autosomal dominant inheritance with incomplete penetrance
what do all the causative genes associated with ADNFLE epilepsy encode for?
different subunits of the neuronal nicotinic receptor - we have an alteration of the cholinergic system
why do we not have a clear genotype-phenotype heterogeneity when studying ADNFLE epilepsy?
we have genetic heterogeneity, meaning that different mutations of that gene are associated to the same form
what other type of gene was found to have implications in ADNFLE epilepsy?
a gene encoding for the potassium voltage channel
when they studied a family with ADNFLE epilepsy through GWAS, where did they find an associated among those tested?
a specific loci on chromosome 9
when they followed up the finding on chromosome 9 through whole-exome sequencing, what did they find?
identified a novel variant (missense) that had a positive segregation in all the affected family members
if a variant is present in all affected family members is this enough to demonstrate that it is a causative gene?
no → we must investigate other family cases that are negative for the genetic analysis
what is done when it is not possible to have other positive familial cases, what do we have to use to analyze a specific mutation?
use functional analysis (such as in the case of the TRDN KO syndrome and the zebrafish model)
since the familial mutation was found in other cases of undiagnosed ADNFLE epilepsy, what gene was added to the panel of causative genes for ADNFLE epilepsy?
KCNT1
what is colon cancer due caused by?
abnormal proliferation of epithelial cells and it can occur in different parts of the intestine, but the major of the cases affect the rectum → formation of polyps that are benign but can become malignant or even metastatic
what percentage of colorectal cancers are from the sporadic form?
80%
how does the sporadic form of colorectal cancer occur?
the neoplasm occurs after the accumulation of different mutations on the intestinal cells → environmental factors, diet, as well as inflammatory conditions play an important role in development
what percentage of colorectal cancers present an inheritance pattern?
50% present a genetic form and the majority of those cases are autosomal dominant - positive family history plays a role
what is characterized by the presence of polyps and is responsible for 1% of colorectal cancers?
familial adenomatous polyposis
what gene is associated with familial adenomatous polyposis?
APC gene localized on chromosome 5 with a high variability in the severity of the disorder and in the number of polyps
what type of colorectal cancer is known as Lynch Syndrome?
hereditary non polyposis colon-rectal cancer
describe Lynch syndrome:
the form without polyps and is responsible for 5% of all colorectal cancers
describe the inheritance of Lynch syndrome:
autosomal dominant and mismatch repair genes are associated with this form
describe Lynch I:
tumors are localized mainly on the proximal colon