MCBG ESA1 Flashcards
what is heterochromatin and where is it found?
- Tightly packed DNA, in the form of 30nm solenoid.
- The information is not available for trasncription machinery.
- Found in nucleus periphery and telemoeres and centromeres are made of heterochromatin.
What is euchromatin and where is it found?
Euchromatin is loosely packed DNAin the form of “beads on a string”, thus available for transcription.
It is found centrally in the nucleus.
Constitutes 92% of the genome.
What is smooth ER? Functions? In which organs is it abundant?
Smooth ER is ER without ribosomes. Tubular in shape.
- responsable for lipid and steroid manufacture
- found in liver, mammary glands, testis, ovaries and adrenal glands.
What do free ribosomes synthesise?
Proteins destined for cytoplasma, or post-translational insertion into
- mitochondria
- nucleus
- perioxysomes
Proteins synthesised by ER-bound ribosomes are destined for…?
- secretory pathway (vesicles)
- plasma membrane insertion
- lysosomes
Peroxysomal function?
Detoxification by oxidation; abundant in the liver.
In what are mitochondria of steroidogenic cells different?
they are more tubular in shape
Actin filaments:
- general function
- size
- where in the cell?
Actin filaments are
- helical
- cortical distribution in cells and in microvilli
- 5-9 nm in diameter
- found in microvilli of a brush border (eg. small & large intestines)
Intermediate filaments
- size
- general function
- where is the cells?
- associated pathology
intermediate filaments
- 10 nm diameter
- often linked to desmosomes so involved in cell adhesions, and also beneath inner nuclear membrane
- desmosomes are on lateral cell surfaces
- abundant in skin
- eg. keratin, vimentin
- keratin associated with Epidermis Bullosa (= ++ blistering)
Microtobules
- size
- general structure
- general function
- where in the cell?
Microtubules
- 25 nm diameter
- made of tubulin
- microtubules often oragnised in 9 doublets + 2 central singlets, in cilia and flagella
- involved in movement of cilia and flagella, and transports of NTs inside neural cell
- found at/in motile sites and phases: interphase, anaphase, …
What indicates the 5’ end of DNA molecule?
5’P
What indicates 3’ end of DNA?
3’OH
What indicates 3’ end of RNA molecule?
3’OH
What differenciates the pentose sugars of RNA & DNA ?
RNA has 2’OH
DNA has 2’H
How many rings does a purine have, what bases are purines
Purines = 2 rings = A & G
How many rings do pyrimidines have and which bases are pyrimidines?
Pyrimidines = 1 ring = C & T
Which bases can make 2 H bonds between them?
A and T
Which bases can make 3 H bonds between them?
C and G
What is a nucleotide?
Base + pentose sugar + phosphate
What is a nucleoside?
Base + pentose sugar
Conventionally, in which L to R direction is a strand drawn?
top strand is 5’ to 3’
What is the hierachy of DNA packaging?
- Nucleosomes = DNA around histone proteins; the whole structure is called beads on a string (euchromatin’s form)
- 30 nm Solenoid = 6 nucleosomes per level, form a cork-screw (heterochromatin’s form)
- Solenoid loops
- Chromatid
What are the phases of mitosis, and what happens during each one?
Prophase = Condensing Prometaphase = nuclear enveloppe disappears &chromosomes are attached to the spindle Metaphase = align on plate, alignment is RANDOM Anaphase = pulled apart, each sister chromatid becomes a chromosome Telophase = nuclear envelope reforms
What is comprised in the Initiation phase of DNA replication? (Prokaryotes)
- Origin of replication recognition (plasmids)
- Recruitment of DNA polymerase and proteins
- Primase (type of RNA polymerase) synthesises a primer so that DNA polymerase has a 3’ end to elongate
What is a primase and in what process is it involved?
Primase is an RNA polymerase, synthesises primer in DNA replication.
After elongation, the RNA primer will be removed by a 5’ to 3’ exonuclease.
What occurs during the Elongation phase of DNA replication? (Prokaryotes)
- Helicase unwinds
2. DNA polymerase adds on nucleotides 5’ to 3’, giving rise to a leading and a lagging strand (Okazaki fragments)
What is the Termination phase of DNA replication? (Prokaryotes)
Because the DNA is circular (plasmid) there will come a point when leading and lagging meet. Then DNA ligase joins the fragments.
What are the 3 types of DNA replication stress, ie. causes of DNA replication errors?
- Machinery defects
- slippage: looping of one of the strands, inducing deletion or insertion of bp in the new strand.
- Proofreading defect: nucleotide misincorporation is normally corrected by DNA poymerase proofreading (exonuclease 3’ to 5’) but if there is a proofreading defect, then error persists. - Factors Hinder replication fork progress (DNA lesions, repetitive DNA ribonucleotide incorporation)
- single strand breaks SSBs: they persists if base excision repair BER is faulty
- double strand breaks DSBs: they persist if defects in BRCA - Defect in resolution pathways (= inefficient correction of mistakes)
What are microsatellites? Why are they clinically relevant?
Microsatellites are di-, tri-, or tetra nucleotide repeats in DNA sequences. Microsatellites have a higher mutation rate thatn other areas of DNA.
Microsatellites are often in non-coding regions, and no not have any specific function, therefore cannot be selected against. this allows them to accumulate mutations unhindered over generations and gives rise to VARIABILITY which can be used for DNA FINGERPRINTING and IDENTIFICATION purposes.
But. microsatellites can also be found in coding regions, and gives rise to diseases such as Huntingtons.
Huntingtons:
- death of brain cells, lack of coordination, unsteady gait, …
- autosomal dominant
- the number of CAG trinucleotide repeats is highly relevant to the severity of disease.
at each generation, the number of repeats increase and the age of onset becomes earlier.
What is the difference between Preprocollagen and Procollagen, and where does the differenciation occur?
Preprocollagen has a SIGNAL SEQUENCE
Procollagen does NOT have a signal sequence anymore.
The signal sequence is cleaved off Preprocollagen in the ER.
Under which precursor form is collagen secreted from fibroblasts?
procollagen
what is tropocollagen?
unit of collagen
made from procollagen triple helices.
it does not have the non-coiled ends.
what is procollagen?
- it is a precursor building block of collagen secreted by fibroblasts.
- it is a triple helix 2 a1chains + 1 a2 chains, with its N-term and C-term ends NOT coiled
- it will then assemble into tropocollagen (non coiled ends cut off by procollagen peptidase)
what happens to procollagen before it can assemble into tropocollagen? which enzyme is responsable for this?
The non-coiled ends of procollagen triple helix are cleaved off by procollagen peptidase.
How does tropocollagen assemble as collagen? Where does this occur? which enzyme is responsible?
Tropocollagen molecules assemble by cross-linking which occurs outside the fibroblast thanks to enzyme Lysyl oxidase
What is the difference between preproinsulin and proinsulin? Where does this differenciation occur?
Preproinsulin has a signal sequence that is cleaved off in ER to give proinsulin.
What are the characteristics of insulin’s disulphide bonds?
Insulin can be thought of as 3 chains in series A-B-C.
when disulphide bonds form, 2 will occur between chains A & C, and 1 inside the C chain (C-C).
The disulphide bonds between A and C induce curving of the molecule so that A and C are opposite.
In the Golgi, endonucleases will make 2 cuts and excise B chain. This is now insulin! it is packed into zymogen granules and waits for signal to be released.
What is the most abundant protein in the body?
Collagen
3 major characteristics of collagen are…
- every 3rd aa is Glycine (in each of the 3 chains)
- triple helix: 2a1 + 1a2
- hydroxylated lysine and proline
What is osteogenesis imperfecta? Symptoms?
Type I collagen mutation giving rise to a poor quality collagen.
Symptoms can be: Blue sclerae, fracture follow only light trauma, other family members affected (autosomal dominant)
Why do people with collagen defects have blue sclerae?
The sclerae is particularly thin, so choroidal veins are showing through them.
What does the banding pattern of collagen look like when treated with SDS-PAGE.
2 bands:
- 1 for the 2 a1 molecules => thicker because 2 molecules
- 1 for the a2 molecule
Indeed, SDS unfolds, and 2-mercaptoethanol breaks disulphide bonds.
But if a mutation inserts an extra Cysteine, then extra disulphide bonds could form, and migration on gel would be affected.
What shape binding curve does haemoglobin have?
Sigmoidal. this confers it its diferent binding properties at different ppO2, thus different binding affinities in different tissues.
what shape is myoglobin’s binding curve?
Hyperbolic
How many chains and haems does haemoglobin have?
4 chains, 4 haems.
HbA, 2 chains are a, 2 chains are b
What chains does foetal haemoglobin have?
2a and 2y
What two states can Haemoglobin be found in and what are the differences between the two?
- R state = relaxed, high affinity, low release (lungs!)
2. T state = tense, low affinity, high release (tissues!)
What haemoglobin state does oxygen binding favor and what is this phenomenon called?
O2 binding favors R state (the high affinity, low release state)
= allosteric cooperativity
What haemoglobin state does a low pH favor?
Low pH = tissues, so we want O2 release, so favors T state
What happens is carbon monoxyde binds to haemoglobin? Why is this a problem?
CO binds 250x better to Hb than O2 does, and promotes R state. Becasue of it’s very high affinity, it will never let go, and so O2 will never be able to be transported by this haem. basically like loosing Hb.
Structurally, how is the haem of myoglobin held in place?
held in the middle of the protein by histidine 93 of the 8th a-helix.
what percentage of myoglobin is a-helical?
75%
What is the general definition of a thalassaemia?
imbalance in the ratio of a:b chains of haemoglobin. (should be 1:1 as each HbA has 2a + 2b
a-thalassaemia, what is it, when does is occur, what are the symptoms?
a-thalassaemia is a defects in a-chain synthesis.
It will appear before birth at foetal Hb also has a-chains.
anemia, yellow sclerae, palpable spleen, hypochromic RBCs.
what is b-thalassaemia? + symptoms
b-chain of HbA defect. will only appear after birth, as there is no b chain in HbF (foetal).
symptoms:
- yellows sclerae (colour comes from bilirubin, bilirubin is produced by RBC breakdown, and in thalassaemias, RBC breakdown is high)
- palpable spleen: because of misshapen RBCs get stuck, and cause inflammation. also, if haemoglobin levels drop too much and bone marrow can’t produce replacement fast enough, then spleen will also produce blood cells = extramedullary erythropoeisis.
- hypochromatic RBCs, variable shape and size, reticulocyte presence & RBCs with inclusion bodies: inclusion bodies are aggregates of chain that there is an excess of. ie. if b chain defects, then a-chains will aggregate = inclusion bodies.
what is alkaptonuria? (inheritance mode, symptoms, affected enzyme)
Alkaptonuria is an enzymatic defect of HOMOGENTISIC ACID OXIDASE, Causing accumulation of homogentisic acid.
It’s mode of inheritance is autosomal recessive.
main symptom: black urine due to the homogentisic acid.
What is phenylketonuria? (affected enzyme, mode of inheritance, consequences)
- Phenylketonuria is a defect in PHENYLALANINE HYDROXYLASE (PAH gene), causing build up of phenylalanine in blood and brain.
- Mode of inheritance is autosomal recessive.
- most common mutation is arginine to tryptophan at position 408
- Consequences: seizures, intellectual disability, etc.
What is albinism?
Albinism is an autosomal recessive condition in which patients lack skin pigmentation, ie. no melanin production.
It is an enzymatic defect of TYROSINASE that normally converts hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid into DOPA, then dopa will be converted on to melanin.