UNIT 3 - D 1.3 - Mutation and Gene Editing Flashcards
How can genes be modified?
When one or more letters in a sequence is deleted, inserted or substituted for another letter
What can result from gene mutations?
for some organisms, severe health problems or death, but mostly there is little effect, for some organsisms it gives them advantages
What do beneficial mutations create?
A new version of a gene that will result in a trait giving the organism an advantage in survival
What is a mutation?
a random, rare change in genetic material
When might a mutation occur due to a change in the sequence of bases in DNA?
If DNA replication didn’t work properly
What would happen within mRNA if a DNA a base was swapped with another?
The corresponding bases in mRNA would be altered during transcription
What is a substitution mutation?
When one base is replaced by another
What is an insertion mutation?
When a base is added
What is a deletion mutation?
When a base is removed from a sequence
What is a point mutation?
When only one nucleotide base is involved
What is the locus?
the position
What is GNAT2?
a gene which controls the protein transducin
What does transducin do?
enables colour vision in humans
Where is GNAT2 found?
on chromosome 1
What would a mutation of GNAT2 result in?
stopping an individual from being able to make transducin properly which is needed to transport information about colour from the eye to the brain and therefore, the person would not be able to see colour
What results when a gene sequence is altered by one letter in a base substitutional mutation?
a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)
What can SNPs do?
define different versions of genes, some can explain genetic diseases and cancers
What could be a consequence of changing one base?
a different amino acid is placed in the growing polypeptide chain
What does the mutation in the genes of haemoglobin do?
alters shape of the haemoglobin molecule and the red blood cell no longer looks flattened and hollowed out
What disease results form gene mutations in haemoglobin?
the sickle cell disease or sickle cell anaemia
What results in a haemoglobin molecule having different properties causing the complications of sickle cell disease?
the bases GAG becomes GTG in the second codon, therefore valine is added during translation instead of glutamic acid, and because valine has a different shape and different properties, the shape of the polypeptide chain is modified`
What is huntington’s disease caused by?
a dominant allele
What does huntington’s disease cause?
nerve damage, though symptoms are not shown until age of 40
How is huntington’s disease caused?
when a gene called huntington (HTT), found on chromosome 4, has an insertion mutation where multiple copies of three nucleotides, CAG, are added to the gene
What kind of mutation is involved in huntington’s disease?
trinucleotide repeat expansion
Which amino acid has its code repeated from the CAG trinucleotide (involved in huntington’s disease)?
glutamine
What can dictate the severeness of a person’s symptoms of huntington’s disease?
how many trinucleotide repeats the person has
How many repeats does a person need before they are affected and see symptoms of huntington’s disease?
40 repeats
What is a frameshift?
a phenomenon that happens when an insertion or deletion occurs in non-multiples of three
What happens when a letter is added to a genetic sequence as a result of a mutation?
the code is shifted
When will the other codons remain unchanged if a mutation occurs?
if the code is shifted by three new letters being added or three being deleted
What may happen if an insertion or deletion is not a multiple of three?
the code changes drastically, not make sense anymore, could transform a normally coding codon into an unexpected stop codon
When does a normally coding codon turn into an unexpected stop codon?
When the DNA proofreading the system tries to repair a mistake and the DNA polymerase may reattach in the wrong place along the sequence it is trying to repair
What are leucocytes?
white blood cells
What are chemokines?
chemical signals which tell leucocytes where to go in order to find invaders such as viruses
What do special proteins on the surface of leucoyotes do to follow the message of chemokines?
they act as receptors to pick up the chemicals
What is an example of a molecule which helps form a receptor for the receival of chemokines on leucocytes?
a co receptor molecules called C-C chemokine receptor type 5 or CCR5
What is one type of human immunodeficiency virus?
HIV-1
What puts people with functioning CCR5 genes on chromosome 3 and can make a functioning version of the special protein for their CD4 cells at risk of HIV-1 entering their cells?
HIV-1 being able to use the receptors on leucocytes as a point of entry to infect leucocytes (CD4 cells)
What will eventually happen to a person who is HIV-positive but is not getting any treatment?
their leucocytes will continue to be destroyed and the person will no longer be able to fight off other infections
What does AIDS stand for?
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
When does a person have AIDS?
at the point when they have HIV and haven’t been treated and they cannot fight off other infections
What is the delta 32 mutation or CCR5-delta32?
a mutation of the CCR5 receptor gene
What kind of mutation is the delta 32 mutation?
a deletion mutation where 32 nucleotides are removed
How is a stop codon formed (where it shouldn’t be) due to the delta 32 mutation?
because 32 is not a multiple of three, there is a frameshift and a stop codon is formed
What allows people to be highly protected from HIV infection?
Becuase the stop codon formed by the delta 32 mutation makes the ribosome stop producing the special protein early, people with this mutation cannot have functioning chemokine receptor protein which HIV-1 needs to infect their leucocytes
How can exposure to ionizing radiation or mutagens cause serious health threats like cancer?
It can sometimes modify the DNA code (which shouldn’t be modified during the lifetime of an individual) causing these issues