Peerwise Flashcards
Define the term genome.
- Hint - dictionary*
- The genome contains all of the genetic information of the organism.
- first level of information in every cell
- what COULD happen
Define the term transcriptome.
- Hint - the selected words*
- All of the mRNA molecules that can be expressed from the genes of an organism.
- starts to give cells their own identity
- what MIGHT be happening
Define the term proteome.
- Hint - completed novel*
- the actual proteins that are translated from the mRNA of that cell
- what DOES happen
How are proteins produced from RNA?
- DNA transcribed into mRNA so the information can leave the nucleus
- mRNA moves to a ribosome
- ribosome made up of rRNA
- mRNA ‘read’ at the ribosome
- tRNA carries amino acids to ribosome for assembly
- tRNA has anticodons which ‘match’ with mRNA codons so it knows which amino acid to bring
What are the 3 stages of protein assembly?
- Initiation - start codon (AUG), translation begins, first amino acid brought
- Elongation - more and more amino acids being added to polypeptide chain
- Termination - stop codon, chain is complete
What can happen at the smooth ER?
- lipid synthesis
- metabolism
What happens at the rER?
- protein secretion
Where are soluble intra-cellular proteins synthesised?
At free ribosomes in the cytoplasm
How does the genetic code give rise to different amino acids and polypeptide chains?
- there are 4 bases (A, T, G, C)
- 1 codon is made up of 3 bases and will code for 1 amino acid
- 3^4 = 64 combinations but only 20 amino acids
- amino acids are coded for by the triplet of bases
- the mRNA sequence will contain a series of triplets/codons which is basically the series of amino acids that are needed to form a specific polypeptide
At what end of the DNA strand would we start to read?
5’
What does degeneracy in the code help to protect against?
MUTATION
- when amino acids can be coded for by more than one triplet of bases then this protects against mutation
- if one triplet is mutated, another may not be and so appropriate amino acid may still be produced
What is the basic structure of an amino acid?
- A central carbon atom
- a single H
- a carboxyl group (COOH)
- an amino group (NH2)
- an R group (the variable part which gives the amino acid it’s specific properties)
List the amino acid families.
- small (small R group)
- hydrophobic
- aromatic (benzene ring)
- nucleophilic
- amide (ONH2)
- basic (+ve charge)
- acidic (-ve charge)
What is conservative amino acid substitution?
Similar amino acids have similar codons > if a mutation occurs a similar amino acid may be coded for and the impact on the polypeptide may not be as great.
How do amino acids join together to form a polypeptide?
They form peptide bonds via a condensation reaction.
List some examples of post-translational modifications.
- acetylation
- sumolyation
- lipidation
- hydroxylation
- glycosylation
- disulphide bond
- ubiquitination
- methylation
- phosphorylation
Briefly describe glycosylation.
- addition of a large sugar chain
- helps proteins to interact with other ‘partner’ proteins
- increases half life of protein due to size/complexity of sugar chain
- can affect orientation e.g. keep membranous protein in fixed position rather than moving around
Briefly describe phosphorylation.
- addition of a phosphate group
- alters activity of the protein
- many receptors use phosphorylation to transmit a signal through a cell
- involved in intracellular communication
- important in enzyme function
- controlled by enzymes (kinases add, phosphatases remove)
How can more than 20 proteins be made from only 20 amino acids?
- post translational modifications
- proteolytic cleavage
What is a zymogen?
An inactive pro-enzyme
What is proteolytic cleavage?
The breakdown of proteins into smaller polypeptides or amino acids
Give an example of proteolytic cleavage.
Chymotrypsinogen is cleaved by proteolytic enzymes to form chymotrypsin.
What is the primary structure of a protein?
The sequence of amino acids.
What is the secondary structure of a protein?
The amino acids start to fold in to structures e.g. a-helices or b-sheets
What is the tertiary structure of a protein?
The proper folding of a protein into its final shape
What is the quarternary protein structure?
An overall protein made up of more than 1 protein coming together.
Discuss mutations in sickle cell anaemia and the effects of the mutation.
- an inherited disease which causes problems with oxygen transport around the body
- caused by a mutation in the B-glob in gene which encodes for the B sub unit of haemoglobin
- the mutation changes only 1 codon out of 146 codons
- GAG mutates to GTG at the 6th codon which changes glutamic acid to valine
- this changes the shape of haemoglobin which changes RBC from biconcave disc to sickle shaped
How are proteins used therapeutically?
- recombinant = man made, gene isolated and grown in bacteria to create artificial therapeutics e.g. insulin, growth factors
- antibodies = essential in vaccinations
- peptide memetics = multiplied protein that biologically mimics action of protein
- blockers of protein function
What is the purpose of the cell cycle?
To produce 2 daughter cells (replication).
What is quiescence?
- also known as G0
- the phase when cells are not actively dividing
- not always a permanent phase, cells may be in G0 and then re-enter the cell cycle
- response to external signal/mitogenic factor
- erythrocytes are permanently in G0
What are the stages of the cell cycle?
G1
S phase
G2
M phase
What phases make up the interphase of the cell cycle?
G1, S, G2
What happens during the M phase?
- mitosis
- cytokinesis
What happens during G1?
- takes about 11 hours
- the cell grows in size (having just been replicated through mitosis it will be half size)
- monitoring the external environment to wait for the optimal conditions for cell division
- monitoring for growth factors
- RNA and protein synthesis in preparation for S phase
- are conditions favourable for proliferation?
Define the cell cycle.
The interval between 2 successive mitotic divisions resulting in the production of 2 daughter cells.
What happens during G2?
- takes about 4 hours
- preparing for cell division
- further growth
- duplication of cell organelles
- was chromosome replication formed correctly?
What happens during S phase of the cell cycle?
- takes about 8 hours
- DNA synthesis occurs
What is cytokinesis?
The cleavage of a cell to produce daughter cells.
What are the phases of mitosis?
- Hint - PPMAT*
- Prophase
- Pro-metaphase
- Metaphase
- Anaphase
- Telophase
What happens during prophase of mitosis?
- chromatin condensation
- nucleolus disappears
- centrioles move to poles
What happens during pro-metaphase in mitosis?
- nuclear membrane dissolves
- chromosomes attach to microtubules and start moving
What happens during metaphase of mitosis?
- spindle fibres align the chromosomes along the middle of the cell nucleus (metaphase plate)
What happens during anaphase of mitosis?
- paired chromosomes separate and move to opposite sides of the cell
What happens during telophase of mitosis?
- chromatids arrive at opposite poles of cell
- new membranes form around the daughter nuclei
- chromosomes decondense
- spindle fibres disperse
When does mitosis start and stop in relation to the cell cycle?
Start - after G2
Stop - before G1
What are the key molecules in regulating progression through the cell cycle?
Cyclin dependent kinases (CDKs)
What type of kinase are CDKs?
Serine/threonine - this means that they phosphorylate proteins with serine/threonine in them.
What CDKs are important in moving from G1 - S phase?
CDK4/6
Which CDK is important in moving from G1 through S phase?
CDK2
List CDKs in the order in which they are important during the cell cycle
CDK4/6 (G1- start S)
CDK2 (end G1 - end S)
CDK2 (mid S - metaphase)
CDK1 (end G2 - M)
How is CDK activity regulated?
- cyclins
- phosphorylation/dephosphorylation
- CKIs
Discuss cyclins
- small, short lived proteins
- must be associated with a CDK to be active
- unstable proteins
- up or down regulated depending on phase of the cell cycle
List the CDK and cyclins association of the cell cycle.
- CDK4/6 - cyclin D
- CDK2 - cyclin E (end G1 - end S)
- CDK2 - cyclin A (mid S - M)
- CDK1 - cyclin B
What is CDK1-cyclin B also known as?
Maturation promoting factor (MPF)
How do cyclins actually regulate CDKs?
- the presence/absence of a cyclin determines whether or not a CDK will be active
What are CKIs?
Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors
- small proteins that block cyclin/CDK activity
- block either by forming an inactive complex or acting as a competitive CDK ligand
What are the 3 families of CKIs?
- p21 CIP
- p27 KIP
- p16 INK
How does MPF go from inactive to active?
- CDK1 is phosphorylated
- cyclin b levels start to rise G2
- they then bind to CDK1
CDK1 is dephosphorylated and active
What does a kinase do?
Phosphorylation
How does CDK1-cyclin B contribute to mitosis?
Phosphorylates lamins:
- results in disassembly of intermediate filaments of the lamina, so lamina is destroyed
Phosphorylates condensins and his tones:
- results in chromosome condensation
Phosphorylates microtubule associated proteins (MAPs)
- allows for spindle formation
What are checkpoints in the cell cycle and what do they do?
A type of cell monitoring:
- checking for favourable external environment (growth factors)
- checking for favourable internal environment (sufficient growth)
- checking for DNA damage/replication errors
- checking the integrity of the mitotic spindle and chromosome attachment
- checking the chromosome integrity
Why are checkpoints needed?
To ensure that 2 viable daughter cells are produced with perfectly replicated and segregated chromosomes.
What are the 4 checkpoints of the cell cycle?
- Restriction checkpoint
- DNA damage checkpoint (late G1)
- DNA damage checkpoint (late G2)
- Metaphase checkpoint
Discuss the restriction checkpoint.
- checks for sufficient growth factors
- the point after which the cell does not need any more growth factors and commits to cell division
- dependent on the accumulation of cyclin D
- happens 2-3 hours before S phase begins
- retinoblastoma (RB) protein is the gatekeeper
What are growth factors?
Secreted signalling molecules that act on cells, affecting their growth, behaviour and rate of proliferation.
- affect through influencing cell differentiation
List some growth factors involving in the cells of the skin and what they do.
Epidermal Growth Factor - re-epithelialisation - keratinocytes proliferation and migration
Platelet Derived Growth Factor - matrix formation - increased numbers and activity of fibroblasts AND remodelling (production of proteases)
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor - angiogenesis - endothelial cell proliferation and migration
How does RB work as the gatekeeper at the restriction point?
- it inhibits E2F
- E2F is a transcription factor which is needed to transcribe the genes for S phase
- SO the cell cycle cannot move to S phase while RB is inhibiting E2F
How does the restriction checkpoint work?
- RB inhibits E2F
- growth factors activate cyclin D
- cyclin D activates CDK4/6
- CDK4/6 Phosphorylates RB
- phosphorylated RB no longer binds to E2F
- E2F can transcribe genes for S phase
What is a tumour suppressor gene (TSG)?
A gene that can encode normal proteins to inhibit cell proliferation in order to ensure that the cell can maintain the integrity of its genome and only divide when necessary. TSGs will arrest the cell until appropriate conditions are met and repair DNA damage.
List some examples of TSGs?
Retinoblastoma (RB) - blocks entry to cell cycle
P53 - detects DNA damage
BRCA1 - DNA in breast cancer
How do the DNA damage checkpoints work?
- check for damage e.g. chemical mutagens, radiation, replication errors
- TSG p53 detects DNA damage
- this results in production of p21 (a CKI)
- at late G1 checkpoint, p21 will bind to CDK2-cyclin E/A to halt progression to S phase
- at late G2 checkpoint, p21 will bind to CDK1-cyclin A/B to halt progression to M phase
Discuss the TSG p53
- a transcription factor
- directly transcribes genes to halt the cell cycle
- if p53 senses low levels of p21/DNA damage then it will arrest the cell to repair damage
- if p53 senses high level of p21/DNA damage it will induce apoptosis
How does the metaphase checkpoint work?
- while chromosomes are unattached the checkpoint remains ‘on’ meaning mitosis cannot proceed to anaphase
- once all chromosomes are attached the inhibition is removed and the anaphase promoting complex in activated which allows for the separation of sister chromatids to opposite poles of the cell
List the major organelles/sub-cellular structures of a typical human cell.
- plasma membrane
- nucleus
- ribosomes
- mitochondria
- endoplasmic reticulum
- rough endoplasmic reticulum
- Golgi apparatus
- cytoskeleton
- lysosomes
- peroxisomes
- endosomes
Describe the structure of the plasma membrane of a typical human cell.
- phospholipid bilayer
- proteins dotted throughout (transmembranous and peripheral)
- cholesterol molecules
- carbohydrates
- amphipathic
- semi-permeable
- fluid mosaic model
What are the functions of the plasma membrane of a typical human cell?
- regulate entry and exit from the cell
- cell signalling
- support (attachment to ECM or cytoskeleton)
- site for enzyme activity
- form membrane for sub-cellular organelles
How does the plasma membrane interact with the extracellular environment?
Through integral plasma membrane proteins:
- allow transfer of small molecules across the membrane - through pumps, carriers, channels
Through plasma membrane receptors:
- interact with a specific ligand - initiate a cascade of chemical signals in the cell
Discuss the composition and function of the nucleus.
- bound by a double membrane ‘nuclear envelope’
- DNA packaged as chromatin
- nuclear pores facilitate entry and exit to nucleus
- membrane supported by nuclear lamina
- nucleolus synthesises rRNA and ribosomes
Function:
- DNA replication (mRNA), gene expression (transcription/post-transcriptional modification)
Why is it important that the cell compartmentalises into different organelles?
- to provide a permissive environment for a set of biochemical functions
- to protect the cell by segregating destructive enzymes and chemicals
- to localise cellular processes for efficient functioning
- to separate molecules required for specific functions
Describe the structure of mitochondria.
Outer membrane:
- contains portions (proteins which allow movement of ions into and out of the mitochondrion)
- also enzymes involved in elongation of fatty acids and oxidation of adrenaline
Inner membrane:
- folded into Cristal to increase SA available for ATP production
- contains enzyme ATP synthase which generates ATP in matrix
- contains transport proteins that regulate movement of metabolites into and out of matrix
Inter membrane space between outer/inner membrane (NOT same as matrix)
Matrix:
- space within the inner membrane - contains enzymes of Krebs and fatty acid cycles - contains DNA, RNA, ribosomes and calcium granules
Discuss the function of the mitochondria.
- ATP production
- store capsases which are responsible for triggering apoptosis (cytochrome C)
- transiently store calcium to contribute to calcium homeostasis
- abundant in ovum for development, possibly in sperm for motility
Describe the structure and function of the endoplasmic reticulum.
Structure: - continuous with nuclear membrane - system of flattened sacs (cistern are) Function: - synthesis
Describe the structure and function of rough endoplasmic reticulum.
Structure:
- ribosomes attached to cytoplasmic surface
Function:
- takes developing proteins from cytosol and continues their development
- post-translational modifications
- proteins destined for ECM (mucous and enzymes)
- proteins associated with the cell membrane (receptors and channels)
- proteins for membrane bound vesicles (enzymes of lysosomes)
- protein folding
- abundant in plasma cells for production of immunoglobulins
Describe the structure and function of smooth endoplasmic reticulum.
Structure:
- does not contain ribosomes
- usually less extensive than rER except in some specialised tissues
- contains cytochrome P450 enzymes which are important in the metabolism of certain drugs and toxins
Function:
- synthesis of lipids, phospholipids and steroid
- calcium storage
- abundant in hepatocytes for lipid synthesis and Leydig cells for steroid hormone biosynthesis
What is the difference between rER and sER?
- RER has ribosomes attached, sER does not.
- rER plays role in synthesis and folding of proteins
- sER synthesises lipids, phospholipids and steroids
Describe the role, structure and function of the Golgi apparatus.
Structure:
- 5-8 folds called cisternae
- cisternae network faces the nucleus, forms a connection with ER and is entry point to Golgi
- cis/medial/trans-golgi are the major processing areas that allow biochemical modifications
- trans-golgi network is the exit point for vesicles budding off the Golgi surface (packaging and sorting)
Function:
- modifies proteins and lipids that it receives from ER
- abundant in plasma cells due immunoglobulin production
What is the address label for proteins bound for the lysosome?
Mannose-6-phosphate
What are lysosomes?
- vesicles containing hydrolytic enzymes
- have a low pH
- degrade defective/old organelles, macromolecules, particles taken in from outside cell
What are endosomes?
- HINT - ‘endo’ meaning in*
- vesicles involved in transport of molecules from plasma membrane to lysosome
What are peroxisomes?
- a compartment for enzymes involved in oxidative reactions
- also involved in biosynthesis of bile acids, fatty acid metabolism and detoxification
Discuss Tay-Sach’s disease
- build of lipid in neuronal bodies and processes
- because of failure to degrade lipids
- causes neurological regression, seizures and blindness
- rare and usually fatal
- genetic
What are the functions of the cytoskeleton?
- to organise cell structure, maintain the correct shape of the cell
- support fragile plasma membrane
- provide mechanical linkages to allow cell/tissue to bear stress
- allows cell to adopt specific behaviours (e.g. growth, division, migration, motility)