The Cell Flashcards
Portion of human genome consisting of protein-encoding genes
1.5%
Euchromatin
Dispersed, transcriptionally active nuclear genetic material.
Heterochromatin
Densely packed, transcriptionally inactive, nuclear genetic material.
Chromosomes
-Number and structure
- 46 (23 pairs).
- Visualised during mitosis.
- Consist of paired chromatids connected at centromere and capped with telomeres.
Chromatids
- String of nucleosomes.
- Short arm (p arm).
- Long arm (q arm).
- Characteristic banding pattern due to relative GC content (less GC content = band, more GC = interband).
Telomeres
- Repetitive nucleotide sequences.
- Cap ends of chromatids.
- Role: allows for chromosomal replication without deterioration of end genes by sacrificing shortening of itself.
Promoter
- Non-coding region of DNA.
- Initiates gene transcription.
Nucleosome
DNA^ wrapped around octameric histone cores.
^~147 DNA base pairs .
Enhancer
Modulate gene expression by looping back to promoters and recruiting additional factors.
Intron
Region of pre-mRNA spliced out to form mRNA.
Exon
Region of mRNA used in translation to encode proteins.
Name the Non-coding Gene Regions
- Promoter.
- Enhancer.
- Untranslated region (5’ and 3’).
- Short repeats.
- Regulatory factor binding regions.
- Non-coding regulatory RNAs (miRNA, lncRNAs).
- Transposons.
- Telomeres.
- Centromeres.
Transposon
- Mobile, non-coding genetic element.
- “Jumping genes”- can move around genome during evolution –> variable copy number and gene positioning.
SNPs
- Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms.
- Variation at a single nucleotide position.
- Almost always bi-allelic.
- Occurs across the genome.
- Has to occur in at least 1% of population.
- 1% in coding regions.
- Predisposition to disease if in noncoding region.
“Neutral” SNP
SNP with no effect on gene function or individual phenotype.
Linkage Disequilibrium
“Neutral” SNP, which sits near a disease causing polymorphism, that can be used as a marker for that disease.
CNV
- Copy Number Variations.
- Multiple nucleotides involved (1 000 - 1 000 000 bp).
- Can be biallelic.
- Formed from duplication, deletion, or complex rearrangements.
- ~50% within coding regions.
Histone Octamer
- Highly conserved low molecular weight protein which DNA is wrapped around.
- Consist of subunits: 2 x H2A, H2B, H3 and H4.
- Dynamic structures.
- Positively charged.^
- Regulated by nuclear proteins (chromatin remodelling complexes, “chromatin writer” complexes, “chromatin erasers”).
^Allowing compaction of negatively charged DNA.
Chromatin Remodelling Complexes
Reposition nucleosomes exposing or obscuring gene regulatory elements (e.g. promoters).
“Chromatin Writer” Complex
- Modify histones through methylation, acetylation, or phosphorylation.
- Modified histones are called “marks”.
- Histone “marks” are reversible.
Histone Methylation
- Occurs at lysines or arginines.
- Can cause transcription activation or repression.
Histone Acetylation
- Occurs at lysines.
- Causes opening of chromatin structure allowing for transcription.
- Done by Histone Acetyltransferase (HAT).
- Change reversed by Histone Deacetylase (HDAC).
Histone Phosphorylation
- Occurs at serines.
- Causes opening or closing of chromatin.
“Chromatin Eraser” Complex
Reverse histone marks made by “Chromatin Writer” complexes.
e.g HDACs
“Chromatin Reader” Complex
Bind histones with particular marks to regulate gene expression.
DNA Methylation
- Causes chromatin condensation –> transcriptional silencing.
- Regulated by DNA methyltransferases, demethylating enzymes, and methylated DNA binding proteins.
What is the role of Chromatin Organising Factors
- Bind non-coding regions.
- Control long range looping of DNA –> regulation of space between enhancers and promoters.
Micro-RNA (miRNA)
- Short RNAs (21 - 30 nucleotides).
- DO NOT encode proteins.
- Modulate translation of target mRNAs –> post transcriptional silencing.
- One miRNA can regulate multiple mRNAs.
Formation and action of miRNA
- Nucleus: Transcription of miRNA gene –> primary transcript (pri-miRNA) –> processed to form pre-miRNA^.
- Cytoplasm: Made into smaller segments with help of dicer enzyme –> mature double-stranded miRNA.
- Double strand unwinds.
- Single strand miRNA combines with multiprotein aggregate RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC).
- Attaches to target mRNA –> mRNA cleavage or stops translation –> gene silencing.
pre-miRNA: single RNA strand with hairpin loop structures forming stretches of dsRNA
Small Interfering RNA (siRNA)
- Similar to miRNA.
- Interacts with RISC to cause gene silencing.
- Only has one specific mRNA target.
What is Long Noncoding RNA (lncRNA)
- Long RNAs (>200 nucleotides)
- DO NOT encode proteins.
- Modulates gene expression by multiple mechanisms.
Roles of lncRNA
Promote Gene activation:
- binds to ribonucleoprotein transcription complex –> facilitates binding to DNA.
Gene suppression:
- binds to transcription factors –> inhibits binding to DNA.
Promote chromatin activation:
- lncRNA binding can direct acetylation / methylation (or deacetylation / demethylation) –> histone and DNA modification.
Assembly of protein complexes:
- act as scaffolds to stabilise secondary / tertiary / multisubunit complexes –> influences chromatin structure / gene activity.
E.g. of Gene Suppression by lncRNA
XIST.
- Transcribed from X Chromosome.
- Essential role in X-inactivation in females.
- XIST escapes X-inactivation to “cloak” the X Chromosome from which it came –> gene silencing.
Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPRs) and CRISPR-associated genes (Cas) [e.g. Cas9 nuclease]
- Linked genetic elements.
- Allow bacteria to acquire immunity against phages and plasmids.
How Bacteria use CRISPR and Cas9 nuclease to acquire immunity.
- Bacteria take portions of infecting agent DNA.
- CRISPR = portion of infecting agent DNA integrated into bacterial genome.
- CRISPR is transcribed and processed to form guide RNA.
- Guide RNA (gRNA) binds Cas9 nuclease.
- gRNA-Cas9 nuclease complex binds infecting agent specific site –> cleaving and disabling of infecting agent.
Gene Editing
- Use of bacterial CRISPR and Cas9 nuclease principles for editing of human genomes.
Performing Gene Editing
- Artificial guide RNAs are designed and introduced into cell.
- Binds to Cas9 –> highly specific cleavage.
- Non-homologous DNA cleavage: break repaired by non-homologous end-joining with insertions or deletions –> random disruptive mutations
- Homologous DNA cleavage: break repaired by homologous DNA recombination –> introduction of new precise genetic material.
Potential applications for Gene Editing
- Repair of inherited genetic diseases.
- Creation of pathogenic mutations in inducible pluripotent stem cells.
- Eliminate less desirable traits.
Plasma Membrane Structure
- Phospholipid and cholesterol bilayer with associated proteins and glycoproteins.
- Hydrophilic heads.
- Hydrophobic tails.
- Glycoproteins only found on outside layer and form glycocalyx barrier.
- Mostly fluid structure with areas of ‘lipid rafts’.
- Electrical potential difference: inner side negative relative to outer side.
‘Lipid Rafts’
- Concentrated areas of plasma membrane which are not fluid.
- Usually glycosphingolipids and cholesterol.
How Plasma Membrane Proteins associate with the membrane.
- Transmembrane via one or more hydrophobic alpha-helical amino acid sequences.
- Insertion into cytosolic side via protein posttranslation modifications (addition of prenyl groups or fatty acids).
- Some extracellular proteins link to glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) tails.
- Some extracellular proteins noncovalently associate with true transmembrane proteins.
Roles of Plasma Membrane Proteins
- Ion / metabolite transport.
- Fluid-phase and receptor-mediated uptake of macromolecules.
- Cell-ligand, cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions.
Name the three broad types of Membrane Transport
- Passive Diffusion.
- Carriers and Channels.
- Receptor-mediated and Fluid-Phase Uptake.
Membrane Transport:
Passive Diffusion
- Small non-polar molecules (e.g. O2 and CO2).
- Larger hydrophobic molecules (e.g. estradiol and Vit D).
- At low rates: Small polar molecules (<18 Da e.g. water).
Membrane Transport:
Carriers and Channels
Channel Proteins:
- Used when concentration gradient can drive movement i.e. passive.
- Create hydrophilic pores.
- When open -> rapid movement.
- Solutes restricted by size and charge.
Carrier Proteins:
- Used when moving against concentration gradient. Requires energy i.e. Active.
- Bind specific solute.
- Undergo changes -> slow transfer.
Membrane Transport:
Receptor-mediated and Fluid Phase uptake
-What is it and what are the types
Endocytosis of fluids and macromolecules.
Involves membrane bound vesicles.
Types:
- Caveolae-mediated endocytosis.
- Receptor-mediated endocytosis.
- Phagocytosis.
- Transcytosis.
Membrane Transport:
Receptor-mediated and Fluid Phase uptake
Caveolae-mediated Endocytosis
Caveolae (little caves):
- Non-coated plasma membrane invaginations.
- Associated with GPI-linkage molecules, cAMP binding proteins, src-family kinases, and folate receptor.
- Caveolin = major structural protein.
Process:
1. Potocytosis (‘cellular sipping’) of caveolae with bound molecule and extracellular fluid.
2. Formation of vesicle.
3. Fusion with endosomes.
4. Caveolae degraded or recycled back to membrane.
Membrane Transport:
Receptor-mediated and Fluid Phase uptake
Receptor-mediated Endocytosis
- Membrane receptor binds to macromolecule (e.g. transferrin, LDL receptor).
- Taken into cell at clathrin-coated pits.
- Clathrin proteins spontaneously assemble into a basket-like lattice which drives endocytosis of receptor, macromolecule and extracellular fluid (fluid-phase pinocytosis).
- Formation of clathrin-coated vesicle.
- Clathrin coating rapidly lost.
- Fusion with early endosome (acidic intracellular structure).
- Release of macromolecules from receptors from low pH. Some receptors released from endosome and returned to plasma membrane by exocytosis (e.g transferrin).
- Progressive maturation of endosome (late endosome).
- Fusion with lysosome.
- If receptor remains -> receptor degradation (e.g. epidermal growth factor receptor).
Membrane Transport:
Receptor-mediated and Fluid Phase uptake
Phagocytosis
Cellular eating.
Restricted to specialised cells (phagocytes e.g. macrophages, neutrophils).
Process:
1. Membrane invagination to engulf large particles (e.g. microbes, dead cell fragments).
2. Formation of phagosome (vesicle with particle).
3. Fusion with lysosome (phagolysosome).
4. Degradation of internalised material.
Membrane Transport:
Receptor-mediated and Fluid Phase uptake
Transcytosis
- Transcellular transport of endocytosed intact proteins (e.g. ingested abs in maternal milk) or large solute volumes.
- Either apical-to-basal or basal-to-apical directions.
What is the Cytoskeleton and what are the major components.
Dynamic network of structural proteins.
3 major proteins:
- Actin microfilaments.
- Intermediate filaments.
- Microtubules.
Cytoskeleton:
Actin microfilaments:
-Structure and Roles
Structure:
- 5 - 9 nm diameter.
- Structure: 2 x strands of actin proteins twisted together.
- Chains form networks with regulatory proteins (motor proteins).
- Can actively re-organise.
Roles:
- Control cell shape / movement - Muscle contraction, with help of mysoin.
- Cell migration - form neutrophil pseudopodia used in diapedesis.
- Cell division during mitosis.
- Vesicular transport.
- Epithelial barrier.
Cytoskeleton:
Intermediate filaments:
-Structure and Roles
Structure:
- 10nm diameter.
- Comprised of many types of proteins depending on cell type e.g. keratin proteins and nuclear lamins.
- Form ropelike polymers providing tensile strength.
- Chrctrstc tissue-specific expression patterns (USE: can be useful to assign a cell of origin e.g. in poorly dfferentiatied tumours).
Roles:
- Structural strength of cell.
- Anchor cells to each other via desmosomes.
- Anchor cell to extracellular matrix via hemidesmosomes.
- Anchor organelles in cells.
Examples:
- Vimentin (mesenchymal cells - fibroblasts, endothelium).
- Desmin (muscle cells).
- Glial fibrillary acidic protein.
- Cytokeratins.
- Lamins (nuclear lamina).
Cytoskeleton:
Microtubules:
-Structure and Roles
- 25nm diameter.
- Hollow tubes of alpha and beta-tubulin dimers.
- Dynamic structure.
- Polarised - negative end anchored in microtubule organising centre, positive end elongates / recedes.
Roles:
- “Railroads” for intracellular transport.
- Resists compression force -> maintaining cell shape.
- Form centrioles which separates chromatid pairs during mitosis.
- Core of primary (non-motile) cilia (e.g. photoreceptors).
- Core of motile cilia (e.g. bronchial epithelium, fallopian epithelium).
- Core of flagella (sperm).
Cytoskeleton Roles
- Determines cell shape.
- Anchors organelles and the cell.
- Determines cell polarity.
- Moves intracellular organelles.
- Allows cell movement.
Cell-Cell Interactions:
How
Occur via junctions.
3 types:
- Occluding junctions (tight junctions).
- Anchoring junctions (adherens junctions, desmosomes and hemidesmosomes).
- Communicating junctions (gap junctions).
Cell-Cell Interactions:
Occluding Junctions
- AKA tight junctions.
- Seals adjacent epithelial cells together.
- Selectively permeable - Restricts paracellular movement of ions and molecules.
- Assists in maintenance of cellular polarity.
- Dynamic and can be modified to facilitate healing and inflammatory cell migration.
- Proteins involved: claudin, tight junction-associated MARVEL protein (TAMP) family, zonula occludens protein family, cingulin.
Cell-Cell Interactions:
Communicating Junctions
- AKA gap junctions.
- “Pore” (connexons) between cells.
- Permit diffusion of ions, nucleotides, sugars, AAs, vitamins and other small molecules.
- Protein = connexin.
- Low intracellular pH or high intracellular calcium –> reduced permeability of junction.
Cell-Cell Interactions:
Anchoring Junctions
Mechanically attach cells to other cells or the extracellular matrix (ECM)
Adherins junctions:
* Glycoprotein = cadherins.
* Linked to actin microfilaments –> influences cell shape +/- motility.
Desmosomes:
* Found between cells (usually more basal).
* Glycoprotein = cadherins.
* Linked to intermediate filaments.
Hemidesmosomes (Half desmosomes):
* Found between cell and ECM / basement membrane.
* Protein = integrins.
* Linked to intermediate filaments.
Sirtuin Activity
- Ultimately increases longevity.
Acts on:
Adipose tissue:
- Increase lipolysis.
- Increase insulin sensitivity.
- Decrease lipid profile.
Metabolism:
- Increases insulin secretion.
- Increases fat metabolism.
- Decreases lipid profile.
Cancer cells:
- Increases tumour suppression.
- Increases genome stability.
- Decreases transcriptional activity of p53.
Cell aging:
- Telomerase stability.
Also:
* Acts on histone acetylation and deacetylation.
* May promote transcription of genes encoding for proteins –> increased metabolic activity and inhibition of free radicals effects.
NB. Red wines increase sirtuins.
A study of peripheral blood smears shows neutrophil nuclei of women have a Barr body, an inactivated X chromosome.
Which RNA most likely plays a role in Barr body formation?
lncRNA
A nuclear chromosomal gel is found to be actively transcribing mRNA that is transported into the cell cytoplasm. No observed protein product is formed from translation of this mRNA.
How is silencing of this active gene’s mRNA most likely to occur?
Binding to miRNA.
A part of red wine is credited for longevity when calorie restriction is also used.
Which intracellular substance will most likely mediate the effect of calorie restriction upon increased longevity?
Sirtuins.
40 yo F with chronic congestive heart failure. 2 month history of productive cough with rust-coloured sputum. Sputum cytology shows numerous haemosiderin-laden macrophages.
Which subcellular structures in macrophages is most important for accummulation of this pigment?
Lysosome.
Cells subject to high levels of UV radiation show cellular damage in the form of increased cytosolic aggregates of denatured proteins on electron microscopy. These protein aggregates are also found in proteasomes.
Which substance most likely binds to the denatured proteins, targeting them for catabolism by cytosolic proteasomes?
Ubiquitin.
Ubiquitin
Targets denatured proteins and facilitates their binding to proteasomes –> protein breakdown to peptides.
At a surgical incision site, endothelial cells produce vascular endothelial growth factor which cause sprouting and migration of endothelial cells into the wound to establish new capillaries.
Which intracellular proteins is most important in facilitating movement of endothelial cells?
Actin.
Release of epidermal growth factor into an area of denuded skin causes mitogenic stimulation of the skin epithelial cells.
Which protein is most likely involved in transducing the mitogenic signal from the epidermal cell membrane to the nucleus?
RAS proteins.
RAS proteins
Transduce signals from growth factor receptors (e.g. epidermal growth factor) that have intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity.
Various soluble mediators are added to a cell culture containing epidermal cells to determine which of the mediators may be useful for promoting epidermal cell growth. When epidermal growth factor is added, it binds to epidermal cell surgace receptors, with subsequent transcription factor translocation and DNA transcription.
This effect is most likely to be mediated through which intracellular pathways?
Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase.
Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascade
- Involved in signalling from activation via cell surface receptors for growth factors.
- Particularly important for signalling of EGF and fibroblast growth factor.
Which factor is most likely effective in promoting angiogenesis for skin healing in skin ulcerations.
Basic Fibroblast growth factor.
Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor
Potent inducer of angiogenesis, participating in all steps.
Which step in the inflammatory-repair response is most likely affected by neutralisation of transforming growth factor beta?
Production of collagen.
Transforming Growth Factor beta Roles
- Stimulates many steps in fibrgenesis (e.g. fibroblast chemotaxis, production of collagen by fibroblasts).
- Inhibits degradation of collagen.
Example of Pathogenic genome variations
Germline mutation of BRCA1 gene.
BRCA1 gene location
17q21
Chromosome 17
BRCA1 protein roles
- DNA repair.
- Cell cycle regulation.
- Regulation of apoptosis.
BRCA1 mutations
- Hereditary Breast cancer.
- Autosomal dominant.
- x 5 risk of breast ca by 70.
- Prevalanece 1/500 - 1/800.
- Ashkenazi Jewish decent people >1/100 prevalence, mutation 185delAG and 5382insC.
What are Epigenetics?
Heritable changes in gene expression that are not caused by alterations in DNA sequence.
Cell Cycle
- G0.
- G1
- G1 / S CHECK POINT.
- S.
- G2.
- G2 / M CHECK POINT.
- M.
What regulates cell proliferation in the cell cycle?
- Cyclins.
- Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs).
Which cyclin / CDK detection guides diagnosis of osteo- and liposarcomas and at which part of the cell cycle is this found?
MDM2 - CDK4 co-expression at G1-S checkpoint.
What are the cyclins / CDKs that regulate G1 –> G1 / S Checkpoint by phosphorylating the Rb protein^?
^Rb –> pRB
- Cyclin D / CDK4.
- Cyclin D / CDK6.
- Cyclin E / CDK2.
What are the Three families of Extracellular matrix proteins?
- Water-hydrated gels (e.g. proteoglycans and hyaluronan).
- Adhesive glycoproteins (e.g. laminins, fibronectin).
- Fibrous structural proteins (e.g. collagen, elastin).
If a researcher wished to identify early signs of epithelial cell invasiveness in a low stage colon carcinoma, which cell adhesion alteration would be MOST useful to detect?
Decreased cadherin expression.
Cadherin = part of adherin junctions and desmosomes i.e. form part of anchoring junctions.
Steps in invasion:
1. Loosening of anchoring junctions.
2. Degradation of ECM with loss and cleavage of type IV collagen and plasminogen activation.
3. Migration and invasion.
Cell signalling:
Growth Factor Downstream Signalling:
-RAS / MAPK pathway
- Growth factor binds to tyrosine kinase-based growth factor receptor.
- Receptor dimerisation and autophosphorylation of tyrosine residues in inner cell.
- Binding of adaptor proteins.
- Coupling to inactive RAS.
- Activation of RAS.
- Activates P13K –> Akt –> mTOR AND RAF –> MAPK.
- Activation of transcription.
- Production of MYC protein.
- Cell cycle progression.
Therefore, mutation in RAS –> affect cell proliferation.
What would you use to study the integrity of the basement membrane?
Laminin.
Examples of Copy Number Variations (CNVs)
- Oncogene duplications in cancer.
- Trinucleotide (CAG) repeats in Huntington’s disease.
Histone H1
- Linker molecule.
- Sits on linker DNA between nucleosomes.
- Stabilises overall chromatin architecture.
In cancer, what therapeutic targets can be used to reverse epigenetic alterations?
- HDAC (chromatin erasers) inhibitors against HDAC.
- DNA methylation inhibitors against DNA methylation.
Which molecular technique would you most likely use to identify germline mutations of genes such as BRCA1 in a female individual of Ashkenazi Jewish descent?
Targeted DNA sequencing of BRCA1 gene in blood sample.
Targeted for 185delAG and 5382insC
Which molecular technique would you most likely use to identify germline mutations of genes such as BRCA1 in a female individual from the general population?
Next-Gen sequencing.
Which family of CDK inhibitors can affect all CDK molecules?
- p21.
- p27.
- p57.
What is the consequence of persistent P16 or p16 INK4A (CDKN2A gene)?
- Inhibition of CDK4 (and subsequently CDK6).
- Inability to move from G1 –> S.
- Rb remains unphosphorylated.
How can detection of P16 be used clinically?
Detection / evaluation of lesions with inactivation of pRB:
- HPV infection.
- Anogenital lesions.
- Rb gene alteration (e.g. gastric and pulmonary adenocarcinoma).