Lecture 4 - DNA Repair Flashcards
What is a mutation? What is a mutant?
Mutation: A heritable change in genetic material; also refers to the process by which the change occurs
Mutant: an organism that exhibits a novel phenotype resulting from a mutation
What is a spontaneous mutation?
- A mutation that occurs w/o a known cause, rare
- Caused by inherent errors in replication or unknown agents in the environment
- Assuming gene length of 1000 bp => 1 mutation/10,0000 - 10,000,000 genes/generation
What is an induced mutation?
- A mutation that results from a known cause
- Caused by exposure to physical or chemical agents (mutagens)
- Frequency of mutation depends on agent
What role does mutation play in evolution?
What is genetic variation?
When do they occur?
What does effect of the mutation on phenotype depend on?
- Mutations are the raw material of evolution and lead to genetic variation
- Genetic variation: change in genotype that can lead to changes in phenotype, ability to respond to environmental changes (natural selection)
- Delicate balance is required, otherwise lethal b/c compromise faithful transfer of genetic info from gen to gen
- Can occur in any cell at any time, but a mutation in one cell type can only affect that cell type
- Effects of mutation on phenotype depend on cell type, when in life cycle, dominance, and type of mutation
Where do mutations occur in animals?
- Germ-line cells: cells that give rise to gametes
- Somatic cells: all other cells
Only mutations that occur in ________ cells will be passed onto progeny
Germ-line
Example of mutation offering an advantage?
Sickle cell anemia: usually problematic, but in Africa, individuals w/ sickle cell are less affected by malaria causing parasite
Do mutations result from adaptive or nonadaptive processes? What experiment proved this?
Nonadaptive processes; Lederberg experiment of replica plating
Stress simply selects rare pre-existing mutations that result in resistance phenotypes
1. Mutations producing resistance occur
2. Sensitive organisms die
3. Insensitive mutants survive and produce new insensitive populations
Mutations are _____
Reversible
What is a forward mutation?
A change from wild-type to mutant phenotype
What is a reverse mutation? Two types?
Reverse mutation: restoration of wild-type phenotype
Back mutation: second mutation at the same site as the first mutation
Suppressor mutation: second mutation anywhere in genome compensates for effect of first mutation
How to differentiate b/t back and suppressor mutation?
Use backcross (mutant x wild type)
- If back mutation, all progeny will be wild type
- if suppressor, half progeny will be wild type phenotype, half will be recombinant mutant/unknown phenotype
Mutations that effect phenotype are usually ______ and _______
Deleterious and recessive
What are the phenotypic effects of mutation? What can they do to pathways? Example
- Mostly result in an AA change that is deleterious to protein function b/c AA sequence is highly adapted to specific environment/function
- Mutations can disrupt/modulate pathways
- Example: mutation of phenylalanine hydroxylase leads to PKU and accumulation of a toxic byproduct
What are the two molecular mechanisms of the mutation process?
- Point mutation (Transition and Transversion)
- Frameshift
