Mitochondrial Disorders Flashcards
What is the mnemonic of mitochondrial disorders?
LUMP
What are the mitochondrial diseases?
L = Leber’s optic atrophy (= LHON: Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy)
Leigh syndrome
U = Usher’s syndrome
M = MELAS syndrome
MERRF syndrome
Mitochondrially inherited: Diabetes mellitus, and Deafness
P = Pearson syndrome
Progressive external ophthalmoplegia: Kearns-Sayre syndrome
Progressive neurodegenrative disease: NARP syndrome
Apart from nucleus, where else is the DNA located?
Mitochondria
Are Mitochondrial DNAs single stranded or double-stranded?
Double stranded
How does mitochondrial genes differ from nuclear genes?
- Mitochondrial genes have NO introns
- They encode some different amino acid codon
What are the functions of mitochondrial DNA?
To encode >>
- Respiratory chain enzyme subunits (protein components)
- Transfer RNAs (tRNAs)
Who can transmit the disease? father/mother?
Mother
(inheritence is only via maternal line)
Why is the inheritence of mitochondrial diseases only via maternal line?
because, mitochondria is present in cytoplasm
& sperm do NOT contribute any cytoplasm to the zygote
Type & Amount of genome in the cytoplasm of ovum (that is contributed to zygote)
Circular genome
16.5kilobase (kb)
What is heteroplasmy?
Within cells/tissues >>> mixed population of normal and abnormal mitochondria
Which type of genetic disorders does show heteroplasmy?
Mitochondrial disorders
What is threshold effect?
Different proportion of abnormal mitochondria may be required to cause disease in different tissues
If a male or female is affected with a mitochondrial disease, what is his/her family history?
Mother surely has the disease.
Father is not affected/not predictable.
If father is affected, what are the chances among children?
NONE of the children will be affected.
(presumed: mother is normal)
Can an affected father transmit the disease to his his children?
NO.
No transmission from father.
Which genetic inheritences have no male-to-male transmission?
X-linked dominant
X-linked recessive
Mitochondrial disorders
Which genetic inheritences have no male-to-female transmission?
Mitochondrial disorders