Topic 7 Flashcards
What are the two major purposes of homologous recombination?
- Creation of new genetic diversity by exchanging genetic information between two DNA molecules with similar sequences
- Recombinational DNA repair to fix single-stranded and double-strand breaks (DSB)
True or false: DSBs are highly deleterious
True
When do DSBs usually arise? (4)
- DNA replication, when replication forks encounter a single-strand break in a template strand
- Meiotic recombination
- Exposure to UV light to γ radiation
- Oxidative DNA damage during respiration
What are the 4 possible effects of a damaged template on a replication fork?
- Translesion synthesis can read through the lesions
- Lesions prevent progress of the replisome, reseulting in a stalled replication fork
- A single-strand break causes the replication fork to collapse, creating a DSN
- A lesion is bypassed, leaving a singe-strand gap, and replication continues downstream
Describe the repair of chromosomal DSB
- The broken DNA ends are processed at the 5’ enduring strands to create 3’ overhangs at the site of the break
- Recombinase catalyses the 3’-overhangs to form a D (Displacement)- loop structure by invading and recombining with the homologous chromosome to exchange short pieces of DNA
- 2nd consecutive strand invasion (i.e. double crossover)
- Using the undamaged homologous strands as template, the 3’ overhangs act as primers for DNA polymerase to extend and restore the lost information at the broken site
What are the two pathways for completing DSB repair?
- Synthesis-dependent annealing (SDSA) pathway
- DSP repair pathway
Describe the synthesis-dependent strand annealing (SDSA) pathway
The invading strands dissociate and anneal to each other followed by further replication and ligation to complete the process
Describe the DSB repair pathway
Further extension occurs while strands are linked and creating 2 Holliday intermediates/junctions, which are resolved by Holliday intermediate resolvases
- X/X resolution (vertical cuts down junctions) of Holliday junction results in a “non cross over”
- X/Y resolution (1 vertical and 1 horizontal cut down junctions) of Holliday junction results in a “crossover”
Describe what first occurs when a replication fork encounters a break in a template strand (4 steps)
- single-stranded break converts to DSB
- A replication fork encounters a break in a template strand
- Detachment of the machinery on one arm (the strand with the break) and converts to a double-strand break (because replication process on one arm is incomplete at site of single stranded break)
- Replication fork is collapsed
- Triggers a recombinational repair process
Describe the steps of recombinational DSB repair at a collapsed replication fork to restore a viable replication fork (4 steps)
- The broken DNA end is processed by nucleases to remove a segment of the 5’ end at the break to create a 3’ overhang, which will be used in a strand invasion reaction
- Recombinase binds to the single-stranded 3’ overhang and promotes strand invasion to create a Holliday junction, so that the 3’ overhand is paired with its complementary strand and the other strand of the invaded duplex DNA is displaced
- Branch migration (the movement of the branch point in a branched DNA formed from two DNA molecules with identical sequences)
- The branch moves, may create a Holliday intermediate, but the net amount of duplex DNA does not change - Resolution of the Holliday intermediate, followed by ligation, restores a viable replication form
Branch migration may trigger fork regression. What is fork regression?
Backward movement of the replication fork, allowing the lesion remaining reannealed with the parental strand
Describe how fork regression restarts replication after the fork stalls using nucleotide excision repair
Nucleotide-excision repair pathway can repair the lesion and the replication can be restarted by digestion of the short arm and reloading of the replisome
Describe how fork regression restarts replication after the fork stalls NOT using nucleotide excision repair
Replication of the short DNA arm followed by branch migration in the opposite direction allows the lesion to pair with the newly synthesized strand and replication can be started - lesion can be repaired later.
What are the 5 stages of prophase I?
- Leptotene
- Zygotene
- Pachytene
- Diplotene
- Diakinesis
Describe leptotene stage of prophase I
Chromosomal condensation starts
Describe zygotene stage of prophase I
Homologous chromosomes pair (i.e. synapsis) via the synaptonemal complex allowing crossing-over (i.e. recombination) to occur
- Synapsed chromosomes form a bivalent (refers to the pairing of the two homologous chromosomes) or tetrad (emphasizes that this structure contains four chromatids)
Describe pachytene stage of prophase I
Synapsis is completed
Describe the diplotene stage of prophase I
The synaptonemal complex disappears and homologous chromosomes start moving apart
Chiasmata
The physical points of contact where homologous chromosomes exchange genetic material during crossing over in prophase I of meiosis.
- Chiasmata are the remaining points of attachment between homologous chromosomes until anaphase I