Mutations Flashcards
Is DNA replication 100% accurate? What is its error rate if it isn’t?
• DNA replication is accurate, but not 100% accurate
o DNA replication has a template, which is why it is precise
o Reasonably high error rate-10-9 is error rate of incorporating new mutation through each DNA replication cycle
Is genetic variation per generation predictable or random? Include an example
• Predictable rate of genetic variation per generation
o Incorporated through DNA replication and other mutation events
o Humans have about 70 new base pairs different from parents’ genomes due to changes in germline through mutation
Describe Darwin’s variation in finch beaks, what he obesrved from that and what gene is responsible for this variation
• Darwin- variation in finch beaks
o Some finches with blunt beaks
o Some finches with sharp pointed beaks
o Inferred that there was a difference in way finches developed their beaks
o Direct relationship to physical changes and DNA sequence
Gene responsible for beak shape is ALX1 (a gene in region D expressed in craniofacial region)
• In mammals with ALX1 gene, mutation causes craniofacial defects
Are bases chemically inert (cannot change)?
• The bases can change in chemical forms
What two forms can bases have and which is more common/rarer and why?
• The bases can change in chemical forms
o Switch between keto and enol form
Normal -keto form which are more energetically stable than enol forms
Rare- enol form called tautomers
What are tautomers?
Enol forms of nucleotide bases
How are enol forms different from base keto forms?
o Different types of hydrogen bonds form between bases when they’re in their enol form vs their keto form
Tautomeric forms change position of the double bonds and proton shifts within structure of the bases, forming less stable pairings
o Normal keto (common) form: makes TA (2 hydrogen bonds) and CG (3 hydrogen bonds) base pairing (Watson-Ccrick base pairs)
Describe how mispairings in DNA replication relating to different base forms is possible and what base pairs this result in
• This can lead to mispairings in DNA replication-Tautomeric shift of nucleotide bases can cause mispairings of bases and can result in newly synthesised DNA pair having a mutation
o When have Cytosine in enol form and adenine in common form, these two bases can base pair with 2 hydrogen bonds (slightly energy stable, but not as much as TA pair)
o When have thymine in common form and guanine in rare form, these two bases can base pair with 3 hydrogen bonds
Describe how frequently enol-keto mispairing occurs and what can be done to reduce this
o There is mispairing 1 in 100,000 bases -> tens of thousands of errors in 1 replication of mammalian genome
100 fold reduction of these mutations by error correction in DNA replication
Describe the process of mispairing in DNA replication and why it is a problem
• Process of DNA replication-tautomers
o Standard nucleotides and base pairing
o Tautomeric shift of nucleotide from keto form to enol form
o Replication occurs
o The enol tautomer mispairs with a keto form nucleotide that it normally doesn’t pair with
o Strands separated
o Tautomeric shift of enol form back to keto form
o Replication occurs
o There is a mutation in the newly synthesised strand in second step of replication-mutant strand of DNA in ½ the progeny
Where do most mutations take place?
In DNA replication
What is the mechanism of repairing mispaired bases during replication? Is this mechanism slow or fast and why?
• Polymerase exonuclease
o Polymerase removes most mispaired bases during replication by measuring distance between nucleotides (mispaired nucleotides have different distances between each other than normal ones)
o Removes wrong ones via 3’ exonuclease activity
o New opportunity for pairing and inserts right base pairs
o Proofreading slows down replication but makes it more accurate
o Fast replication done by error-prone polymerases with no exonuclease function so make it less accurate (sometimes these are used in PCR)
Describe the purpose of base excision repair and its mechanism
• Base excision repair
o Breakage of bond connecting the base to the sugar-phosphate backbone
o Loss of base creates an apurinic or apyrimidinic site (AP)
o AP is recognised by AP endonuclease, which cleaves the backbone on each side of the base
o DNA polymerases can fill in this gap
How was the first bacterial repair system identified by?
• First bacterial repair system identified by:
o Phenotype- high rate of mutation in E.Coli
o Genotype- mut genes were mutant
Mut genes wild type- DNA repair is normal
Mut genes are mutant- DNA repair is less efficient
Describe the purpose of mismatch repair and how it occurs
o Catches mismatches missed by DNA replication proofreading or that have occurred at another time
o Mismatch is detected with proteins
o The mismatch repair proteins remove the mispaired base and surrounding bases on the new strand
Removes about 10 nucleotides or so around the mismatch and does it on newly synthesised strand
o DNA polymerase fills the gap and ligase seals the nicks
What is the difference in the detection step in mismatch repair between bacteria and other organisms?
In bacteria, template strand is more highly modified than newly synthesised strand which is how it knows what to use as a template. Doesn’t happen in all organisms
• Old strand- has methylated adenines
• New strand- unmethylated adenines
Describe how direct repair occurs
• Direct repair
o Many environmental agents attach methyl groups to bases, especially guanine which can cause guanine to mispair with thymine
o Chemically modified bases can be directly repaired by removal of methyl groups by methyltransferases
Describe how break repair occurs (purpose and process)
• Break repair
o Double-stranded breaks to DNA are repaired by reattaching the broken end to another DNA molecule
o Two different processes, with many variations, are used
o Commonly, the DNA molecules are not similar in sequence, so the breaks are repaired by non-homologous end joining
Less commonly, the DNA molecules are highly similar in sequence, and homologous recombination occurs
What is the danger of UV light?
• UV light causes lots of mutations
Describe the mutation induced by UV light and how it triggers repair
• UV light has high energy and causes pyrimidine dimer
o Mutation event that isn’t normal-physically joins two adjacent pyrimidines (usually Ts)
• This leads to a bulge in the helix which triggers repair
What is photoreactivation and in what organisms does it occur?
• Photoreactivation- Bacteria, single-celled eukaryotes, plants and some animals (not humans)
o Pyrimidine dimers repaired by photoreactivation
o Photolyase binds the thymine dimer and enzyme photolyase uses energy from visible light to break the bonds between pyrimidine dimers
o Photolyase is encoded by the E.coli phr (photoreactive repair) gene
Describe how UV repair proceeds in humans
• UV repair in humans-
o Nucleotide excision repair
Changes to multiple adjacent bases or more extensive damage
When damage to the nucleotides is greater than a single base, the damaged region is recognised: the strands are separated, and oen strand is degraded to create a gap of 10-20 nucleotides
This gap is filled in by DNA polymerases
While the overall process is similar in bacteria and eukaryotes, the proteins are not highly conserved
What is the consequence of people who have defects in process of nucleotide excision repair?
o People who have defects in process of nucleotide excision repair are affected by xeroderma pigmentosa and are extremely sensitive to UV light, often have basal cell cacinomas and have reduced life expectancy
People have mutations in 1 of 7 genes of encoding repair proteins
What are 3 different types of mutations?
• Indels
o Small insertions or deletions (generally 1,2,3 or 4 base pairs)
• Transitions
o A purine (A,G) is replaced by a purine or a pyrimidine (C,T) is replaced by a pyrimidine
• Transversions
o A purine is replaced by a pyrimidine or vice versa
Does the location of a mutation in the genetic code matter?
• Location of small mutations will have different consequences
Describe where mutations can occur in a genome
o Coding region
o Regulatory region
o Splice sites
o Between genes
What are the 4 different types of mutation that can occur in a coding region of a gene?
Will have great impact from base change
Silent mutation: base pair change, no amino acid sequence change
Missense mutation: base pair change, amino acid change
Nonsense mutation: base pair change, early stop codon
Frameshift: 1 base pair or more, insertion or deletion which alters the reading frame and makes a change in the string of codons. Can have an early stop
What happens to a cell when a mutation affects an essential function?
o Mutation affects an essential function
Cell undergoes cell death
What happens to a cell when the mutation affects a non-essential function?
o Mutation affects another function
Cell divides normally despite the mutation
What are mutations that can occur in genes associated with cell division and what are the consequence of these?
o Growth and cell division
Tumour suppressor genes keep cell division in check
Mutation in gene suppressor gene may remove regulation and cell division will occur extremely rapidly (dysregulation)
o Promote cell division
Proto-oncogene (wildtype allele) becomes oncogene (mutant allele)
Proto-oncogene regulate and promote normal cell growth and division
Oncogene overexpress this regulation- promote too much
Overexpression mutations
Describe the 3 types of mutation that are important in evolution
• Mutations in evolution
o Looking at a population
o Advantageous change- positive selection
Mutation allele gives positive advantage and frequency greatly increases as generations go
o Neutral change- no selection
Mutation allele gives no advantage and frequency doesn’t change as generations go
o Deleterious change- purifying selection
Mutation allele negatively impacts survival and frequency decreases as generations go
What was the purpose of the fluctuation test?
o To address whether mutation is always there or only present when it is needed
Who invented the fluctuation test?
Luria and Delbruck 1943
Describe the method of the fluctuation test and its results
o Process-
Flask of bacteria in medium
A resistant (to a virus) mutation arises in growing culture
The resistant cells increase in frequency as they grow
Cells are exposed to virus and plated onto petri dish
Found that different plates have similar numbers of resistant cells
Had a control:
• Started with 4 independent tasks
• Each inoculated with population of bacteria and allowed to grow
o Know now that some of these flasks would have contained resistant bacteria but mutagenic events would take place at different stages (randomly)
• Plated each flask culture on one petri dish
• Found that resistant cells arise at different times in different cultures- different plates have very different numbers of resistant cells
o Found that mutations were always there, not simply induced through exposure of selective pressure
Exposure to virus is test to identify mutagenic events that had arisen beforehand
What are sources of phenotypic and genomic variation in individuals of the same species (relatively)?
• Individuals of the same species o Gene number o Regulatory sequences o Variation in amino acid sequences Largest portion
What are sources of phenotypic and genomic variation in closely related species
• Closely related species- all variations smaller than distantly related species o Variation in amino acid sequences o Regulatory sequences o Variation in gene number o Variation in splicing o Novel genes
What are sources of phenotypic and genomic variation in distantly related species and their different impacts
• Distantly related species o Variation in amino acid sequences (coding differences) Large portion o Regulatory sequences Large portion o Variation in gene number Medium portion o Variation in splicing Medium portion o Novel genes Small portion
How can sequences be added to a genome?
- Polyploidization
- Horizontal gene transfer
- Copy number variation in blocks of DNA
- Expansion of gene families
- Novel genes
What is polyoploidization?
o Extra copy of genome is added
What is ploidy?
the number of sets of chromosomes in a cell, or in the cells of an organism.
Describe examples of haploid organisms
Bacteria and other organisms are haploid
Describe examples of diploid organisms
Humans and many eukaryotes are diploid
Describe examples of triploid organisms and why we want commercial food products to be triploid
Triploids are usually infertile
• Bananas have been bred to be triploid-those that are bought in shops are triploid to make them infertile and reduce seed size
o Propagated through cuttings
• Seedless watermelons-process of triploidy (seeds are infertile)
Describe examples of tetraploid/hexaploid organisms
Plants can be tetraploids and hexaploids
Describe why some plants are not diploid, and what plants these are
• ½ of flowering plants and crops are not diploid. Can occur through:
o Mitosis-replication occurs but not division
o Meiosis-replication occurs but only one division occurs
Have there been ploidy events in humans? Can they easily be seen now?
There is evidence of ploidy events through evolution
• Evidence of 2 past polyploidisation events in humans
o But cannot be seen now because of change in structure in chromosomes over time
What is copy number variation?
o Copy number variation- a block of DNA sequence (1-25kb) on the chromosome becomes duplicated and repeated multiple times
How can copy number variation occur?
o Can occur when comparing individuals within a species and comparing between species
Are copy number variations random?
No
Can copy number variation in blocks of DNA occur in twins?How?
o Can vary between identical twins, thus during mitosis
How many cases of copy number variation in blocks of DNA occur in humans?
1400 cases in humans (1/2% of human genome varies because of this)
What phenotypes does copy number variation usually influence?
Often copy number variation influences cognitive or personality differences
What variation is the major differences between humans and chimps
One of the major differences between humans and chimps
What is a gene family?
Gene family-a set of several similar genes, formed by duplication of a single original gene, and generally with similar biochemical functions
Gene family members carry out highly related functions
Similar DNA sequences, paralogs
How many genes in the human genome are members of a gene family?
Half of genes in human genome are members of a gene family
Are gene families the same within species? Are there exceptions (if so, talk about it)
Usually a set number of members of gene family for a species
• Exception is gene encoding amylase which is encoded by a variable number of a gene family in humans
o People with high-starch diets have a median gene number of 7
o People with low-starch diets have a median gene number of 5
What is the effect of a greater number of genes in the family?
A greater number of genes in the family gives higher gene product levels
How do gene families arise?
Arising of gene families
• Ancestral gene is duplicated
• Further duplication of ancestral gene and there is divergence in function: similar versions of same gene
• Continue to duplicate and diverge in function and expression
What is a pseudogene?
o Pseudogene- Nonfunctional copies of a gene with a mutation that prevents its expression. Indication that it used to be a functional gene but has now accumulated so many mutations that it is no longer functional
How can expansion or contraction of gene families occur?
o Expansion or contraction of gene families along a specific lineage can be due to change, or can be the result of natural selection
Describe the arising of the myoglobin gene family (and the use of that gene). Include which chromosomes each resultant gene is in
o E.g. Myoglobin gene (carries oxygen and carbon dioxide) in humans found in muscle
Myoglobin gene maintained in single copy of chromosome 22 in humans
But there is a gene family with myoglobin as its ancestor
• Myoglobin duplicated and gave rise to alpha-beta globin gene (which was expressed in both blood and muscles)
• Alpha-beta globin gene duplicated and diverged to become the alpha globin and beta globin gene
• Alpha globin gene further duplicated and diverged in times of expression into 3 genes on chromosome 16 in humans
• Beta globin gene further duplicated and diverged in times of expression into 5 genes on chromosome 11 in humans
Describe the role, composition and turnover rate of haemoglobin
Haemoglobin transports oxygen and is composed for 4 globin protein molecules
• 2 alpha and 2 beta chains
• Within each globin is an iron-containing heme group
• Has high turnover rate (replaced every 120 days) so high need for globin production
What is thalassemia and in what populations is it common?
Thalassemia- imbalance in the relative amounts of alpha and beta globins produced
• Common in some populations (originated from Mediterranean and south-east Asia)
What are two types of thalassemia?
o Alpha thalassemia
o Beta thalassemia
Describe alpha thalassemia in terms of possible alleles and diffferent resultant phenotypes possible
Chromosome 16
• Normal chromosome has 2 copies of alpha globin gene
• Alpha-thal-2 chromosome has deletion of 1 copy of alpha-globin gene
• Alpha-thal-1 has deletion of both copies of alpha-globin gene
Situations-
• When 4 copies of alpha globin genes in genome, genotype is normal and there is no anemia
• When 3 (alpha- Thal-2/wild type heterozygote), or 2 (alpha-thal-1/wild type heterozygote or alpha-thal-2 homozygote) copies of alpha globin genes, anemia is mild
• When 1 copy of alpha globin gene (alpha thal-2/alpha-thal-1 heterozygote), there is moderate aenemia
• When 0 copies of alpha globin gene (alpha-thal-1 homozygote), anemia level is lethal
What are the current aims of thalassemia treatments?
• Treatments of thalassemia aim to (if foetal forms of gene are intact its just adult forms which are missing) continue to express foetal forms to compensate for adult form damage
Describe the alpha globin genes and what chromosome they’re on as well as when they’re expressed
On chromosome 16, there is evidence for 3 different type of alpha globin genes and 2 pseudo alpha related genes
• Zeta form- expressed in embryo until switched off in later in development
• Pseudo-zeta and pseudo-alpha form- no longer have function but show remnant sequences
• Alpha 2 and alpha 1- expressed in foetal stage and adult stage
Describe the beta globin genes and what chromosome they’re on as well as when they’re expressed
On chromosome 11, there is evidence for 5 different types of beta globin genes and 1 pseudo beta related gene
• Epsilon- expressed in the embryo
• G gamma and A gamma- expressed in the foetus then stops after birth
• Delta and Beta- expressed in the adult
Is pattern of globin gene expression constant?What is the effect of this?
Sketch the graph.
Pattern of globin gene expression changes with age
• Expression of gene family members can change during life cycle
o This is a way that members of gene family can accumulate to have a specific function
• Can give rise to a trait having varying severity
Timestamp: 4:40 pm at 4/09/2019
Describe the FAD2 gene family in coffee and where in each tissue each gene is expressed
o FAD2 gene family in coffee- encodes for linoleic acid to give coffee its aroma
Duplication events and selective breeding of coffee plants have fiven rise to 6 different FAD2 gene family copies
• Gene version 1 and 2 are a little expressed in stamen (gene 1 and 2), pistil (gene 2) and leaf (gene 1 and 2)
• Gene version 3 is expressed a little at every life cycle, but a lot in the root, stamen and endosperm
• Gene version 4 and 5 are only a little expressed in the leaf
• Gene version 6 is expressed throughout entire life, especially in pistil, lead and perisperm
Has tissue specific expression in gene family
Do novel genes have a small or large effect on variation?
Large
What genes are novel in humans but not in chimps and what phenotypes do these genes influenced
o 200 novel genes in humans, not in chimps
Genes give rise to gene expression in brain, skin and immune system
How are novel genes theorised to be accumulated?
o Don’t quite understand how novel genes are accumulated, but theorise might be horizontal gene transfer
What is CYP1A2 gene product and what does it encode/its role? Can the CYP1A2 gene be swapped between species?
Caffeine breakdown rate by CYP1A2 gene product
• Gene encodes cytochrome C oxidase subunit VII2
o Related to breakdown of medical drugs and other compounds
• Many alleles-highly variable in humans
o Genes have many differences between species
o Some have the same function but not swappable
Gene is not swappable between species- tried to place E.Coli. Gene in human culture cell to see if it could replace the human gene (knocked out the human gene) and it didn’t. Vice versa didn’t work either.
So divergent that one cannot swap for the other one
But in closely related organisms this can be done
Are all genes swappable between all species?
o Many amino acid differences between individuals
o Genes have many differences between species
o Some have the same function but not swappable
So divergent that one cannot swap for the other one
But in closely related organisms this can be done
What are variations in gene regulation?
o Mutations that later amount of protein product by changing recruitment efficiency of RNA polymerase to promotor site of gene
o No amino acid sequence change
o Can be in promoters, introns, 5’-UTR, 3’-UTR (sequences that influence regulation)
Where is a gene expressed
When is the gene expressed
How much of a gene is expressed
Describe the hair colour gene as a variation in gene regulation
o Hair colour gene (kit ligand gene product)
Level of expression varies between individuals
• Low kit ligand gene expression which results in reduced differentiation of melanocytes (which reduces pigment production) in blonde people
• High expression and differentiation of melanocytes in brown haired people
Same amino acid coding sequence