Week 1 Flashcards
During mitosis: Cohesin loads? Cohesin dissocaties from arms? Remainder of Cohesin dissocaties?
Loads: at DNA replication (S Phase) Dissociates from arms: Prophase Dissociates from centromere: Anaphase
What is the q arm and p arm?
the q arm is the long arm of the chromosome and the p arm is the short arm of the chromosome
Does sickle cell anemia display allelic heterogeneity?
no, sickle cell anemia is caused by one specific mutation only
Name this chromosomal abnormality: 45, X What sex is this person?What type of aneuploidy is this an example of?
Turner Syndrome Type: Monosomy Fact: 85% missing paternal X
What can’t MLPA identify?
Nothing bigger than one gene, nothing smaller than one exon. nothing other than deletions/duplications
what is a synonymous mutation? How damaging are these?
mutation of a nucleotide that does not alter the amino acid that is coded for. Most likely has no effect
define robertsonian translocations
a translocation between two acrocentric chromosomes by fusion at the centromere
Define polyploidy
more than two sets of the haploid normal of chromosome (>2n)
what are hairpin loops? how are they formed?
a secondary structure formed by RNA in which the presence of palindromic sequences allows RNA to fold on itslef
Define centromere in intelligent terms
The central constriction of the chromosome at metaphase. Repetitive alpaha-satellite DNA (171 bp repeats) embedded in large region of preicentric heterochromatin
why is RNA unstable
2’-OH
Name this chromosomal abnormality: clinical features include intellectual disability, characteristic facial appearance, weak muscle tone, increased risk of developing gastroesophageal reflux, celiacs, hypothyroidism, leukemia
Trisomy 21 or Downs syndrome
Name this chromosomal abnormality: 47, XX, +21
Trisomy 21 in a female, downs syndrome
Define Kinetichore in intelligent terms
large complex of proteins that bind to centromeric chromatin. This is where microtubules of the mitotic spindle attach
What are four reasons for nonpenetrance?
- Sex specific: a male cant get ovarian cancer even int BRCA1/2 is mutated 2. Later age onset: HD 3. Environmental triggers 4. influence by modifier genes or polymorphisms
what is a centromere?
The point of a chromosome that is attached to the mitotic spindle complex
Is trisomy inherited or sporadic?
Sporadic
During Meiosis I cohesin loads where?
Along arms of paired homologues
Are reciprocal translocation bad for the carrier? gametes?
carrier will have normal genomic content but may have abnormal content in gametes after meiosis
Define null allele
a non-functional allele. The other allele may still be functional (A_)
Define submetacentric
chromosome in which centromere is slightly above the middle
what is the role of the MUTYH gene
Base excision repair gene that excises guanine when it is inapproptiately paired with 8-oxo. Loss (bi-allelic LOF) has been correlated with increased colon polyps (MAP) and increased risk for colon cancer
what disease does OI stand for?
Osteogenesis imperfecta
describe non-Watson-crick pairing of RNA. What does this allow RNA to do?
RNA bases (A U G C) can pair with any combination of bases as long as one nucleotide acts as a hydrogen donor and the other a hydrogen acceptor . this allows RNA to form tertiary structures
Describe monozygotic twins, how do they appear on a pedigree?
Identical twins, have almost identical DNA, appear on a pedigree with a line between the two symbols
What genetic alterations can array-CGH identify
detects genetic gains and losses. CNV: deletions, duplications. Chromosome gains and losses
What five assumptions are made in Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium?
No migration, random mating, no selection, no mutations, only two alleles involved
Alkylating agents preferentially modify which nitrogenous base?
guanine
Are chromosomes more condensed during prophase or metaphase?
During metaphase, condensin doesn’t begin to accumulate until prophase and is not released until telophase
in what direction is RNA synthesized
5’ to 3’
Define chromatid:
Entire linear molecule of DNA and associated proteins. This is what is visible under a microscope.
what are limitations to FISH?
limited by availability of probe and knowledge of target sequence.
Define translocations
2 pieces of chromosomal material exchanged between non-homologous chromosomes
What are the three steps (and their temps) of PCR
Denature DNA: 95DC Primer annealing: 68DC Elongation w/ Taq polymerase: 72DC
The supercoiling of chromatids has what effect on the transcription of genes?
stops the transcription of genes
What wont fish detect?
UPD, methylation
Define polymorphism
the condition of occurring in several different forms
main fxn of golgi apparatus
modification, packaging, and sorting of proteins and lipids
What is meant by the statement “chromosome structure is fluid”
the structure of a chromosome changes depending on the activity of cells
What is the fate of a soluble ER Protein
translated completely into the ER lumen and destined for lumen of an organelle (ER, Golgi, endosome, lysosome)
Which sex chromosome trisomies are characterized with having no significant phenotype other than the potential for mild learning disabilities?
47, XXX (triple X syndrome)47, XYY
What does this mean: 46, XX,t(5:6)(q11.2;q23)
a diploid female had a reciprocal translocation invovling chromosome 5 and 6. chromosome 5 was broken at q11.2 and chromosome 6 was broken at q23
When (MI, MII, or mitosis) is nondisjunction most common? Does it occur more frequently on the maternal or paternal side?
Meiosis I >90% maternal origin
Define Nucleosome:
DNA coiled around a core of 8 histones (octamer)
how can a father not have OI but offspring from 2 different marriages do?
Germline mosaicism. Father has some normal cells (he will appear phenotypically normal), but cells within his body (sperm) have the mutation.
Loss of function mutations can result in what (2) types of product
absent product: null allele Reduced product
in what direction are proteins synthesized?
N to C-terminal
what is a polysome?
an mRNA that is being simultaneously translated by multiple ribosomes
What are some issues with whole exome sequencing?
reads only short segments of DNA at a time, error prone (results have to be verified)
what is a compound heterozygote?
a condition in which two partially functioning alleles exist
In terms of chromosome condensation and visibility is a karyotype obtained during metaphase, anaphase or prometaphase preferred?
the less condensed the better/more visible the banding. Therefore prometaphase is preferred.
how are ROS created? what percent of respiratory chain productivity are they?
byproduct of mitochondrial activity, 2%
What is a nonsense mutation? how harmful?
a change in nucleotide that results in a premature stop codon. Almost always harmful.
recombination vs. translocaiton
recombination occurs between two homologous chromosomes and translocation occurs between non-homologous chromosomes
How is cohesin released between chromatids? In what direction?
Released stepwise from arms to centromere
Name this chromosomal abnormality: 47, XY, +13
Trisomy 13 in a male, AKA Patau Syndrome
What are the three classifications of tandem repeats from largest repeat unit to smallest repeat unit
largest repeat unit: satellite minisatellite microsatellite
How effective is the DNA repair mechanisms in our bodies?
99% effective, it corrects/catches 99% of replication errors
Describe telomeres: role, location, composition
Located at ends of the chromosome, composed of repeating TTAGGG, prevents chromosomal shortening during DNA replication
What equations (2) are used in hardy weinberg equilibrium?
- p^2+2pq+q^2=1 2. p+q=1 where p is the dominant allele, q is the recessive allele, and pq is heterozygous.
Proteins translated at free ribosomes are destined for (4)
cytosol, nucleus, mitochondria, peroxisome
What are the three types of chromosome abnormalities?
numerical, structure, moasicism
What is osteogenesis imperfecta (OI)? Inheritance? GOF or LOF?
clinically heterogeneous (varying degree of severity) characterized by brittle bones due to a lack of collagen. Autosomal dominant inheritance. LOF
on a pedigree, what does a circle with the number “2” inside refer to?
2 females in the sibship, a shortcut for writing families with numerous siblings
What is type 2 OI caused by? How severe?
A mutation in the alpha 1 chain (inappropriate AA, mutation of glycine) that renders the majority of procollagen abnormal. More severe than type I.
is sickle cell anemia caused by a LOF or GOF mutation?
GOF: gain of new cell shape However, the new shape results in a net loss of red blood cell function. This is an example of a GOF mutation that is recessive.
Mitochondrial disease inheritance represents which type of inheritance?
X-linked because only the mother passes on mitochondria
What are three categories/types of aneuploidy? How are they denoted?
Monosomy: (2n-1), 45 chromosomes, one is missing Trisomy: (2n+1), 47 chromosomes, one extra chromosome Tetrasomy: (2n+2), 48 chromosomes, two extra
Define Nondisjucntion, what is it a cause of?
A cause of aneuploidy, failure of homologous chromosomes (MI) or sister chromatids (MII or Mitosis) to separate properly
Describe this person: 45, XY, -21
A male with only one chromosome 21
what does this mean: g.82_83delTG
a sequence obtained from genomic DNA (as in during exome sequencing) shows a deletion of nucleotides T and G originally at positions 82 and 83
What is mismatch repair?
Corrects replication errors in which the wrong base pair was incorporated during replication.
What are four causes of structural chromosome abnormalities?
recombination between nonhomologous chromosomes, dsDNA breaks within chromatids, telomere instability, centromere pair separates in wrong plane during meiosis
CGH stands for
Comparative genomic hybridization
Name this chromosomal abnormality: clinical features include severe physical and intellectual abnormalities, cleft lip, extra fingers or toes, small/underdeveloped eyes, only 5-10% live past first year
Trisomy 13 AKA Patau syndrome
alpha-satellite: where is it found, role, length of repeat
found at centromere of all chromosomes, binding site for centromeric proteins of mitosis (kinetichore), 171bp repeats
What genetic alterations can FISH idnetify (6)
deletions, inversions, translocations, duplications, mosaicisms, marker chromosomes
How does a ribosome know whether or not to translate the attached mRNA at the ER or in the cytosol?
Determined by ER signal sequence on N-terminal of newly translated protein. ER signal sequence=moves to ER. no ER signal sequnence means the ribosome stays in the cytosol
How is Huntington’s Disease inherited? What are symptoms?
Autosomal dominant. personality change, memory loss, series of motor problems including involuntary movement of arms and legs.
Define mosaicism
two or more genetically distinct cell lines within a person
What is the major/primary protein component of chromatin?
Histones
Role of BLM gene (dsDNA damage)
makes helicase that maintains structure and integrity of DNA
what does this mean: c.187delAG
A sequence obtained from cDNA shows that a deletion of A and G at the 187th nucleotide occurred
What are 5 types of DNA damage repair?
Nucleotide excision repair, base excision repair, mismatch repair, dsDNA break repair, ssDNA break repair
What is a synonymous SNP? Nonsynonymous?
Synonymous: a change in nucleotide that does not change the amino acid Nonsynonymous: a change in nucleotide that does change the amino acid
main fxn of lysosomes
intracellular degradation
Describe telomeric minisatellites: overall length, length and identity of repeats, function, replenished by? when are they replenished?
10-15 kb of tandem hexanucleotide repeats (TTAGGG), prevent shortening of chromosome during replication and when the telomeres are gone apoptosis occurs, replenished by telomerase until birth and in cancer cells.
What genetic alterations will MLPA identify?
small duplicaitons/deletions of 1 exon, multiple exons, or the entire gene
what is the combinatorial mechanism?
explains how different genes are turned on in different cells. Suggests that each promoter contains a specific sequence for specific transcription factors to bind before transcription will start
This syndrome is caused by triplet repeat expansion in the 5’UTR of mRNA and results in the X chromosome literally breaking in half
Fragile X syndrome
What are 4 endogenous sources of DNA damage?
depurination, deamination, ROS, replication process itslelf
What is the major difference between Meiosis I and Meiosis II in terms of cohesin? (Metaphase)
Meiosis I: during Metaphase I cohesin releases from homologous chromosomes but not from centromere Meiosis II: During metaphase II cohesin at centromere is released
what is RNA splicing?
the removal of introns in pre-RNA to create mature RNA that is only composed of exons. this occurs in mRNA, tRNA and rRNA
What occurs if protein complex protecting telomeres is lost?
apoptosis occurs
what does this represent: 46,XY/47,XY,+21
A female with mosaicism. Normal/Abnormal. this is a girl with mosaicism where some of her cells have an additional chromosome 21
What are loss of function mutations? Normal inheritance pattern?
mutation that results in reduced or no protein function. Normally recessive exception is OI
How do proteins enter the mitochondria?
Proteins destined for mitochondria have N-terminal sequence that binds import receptors–>import receptor brings protein to mitochondrial translocator–> mitochondrial translocator unwinds and threads protein through outer and inner mitochondrial membrane
What determines the final destination of proteins?
Signal sequences located on either the C of N-termini of newly translated proteins
Telomerase is present during (2)
germs cells, and neoplastic tissue
where is mRNA made? Processed?
in the nucleus
What is unequal crossing over?
a condition where homologous chromosomes receive unequal amounts of chromosome during meiosis
beta-satellite: where, length of repeat
found near centromeres and variable regions of chromosome 1, 9, Y and acrocentrics. 68bp repeats
thymine dimers are repaired by which DNA repair system
NER
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is best identified by which technique in molecular genetics?
MLPA, DMD is generally caused by a duplication or deletion of an exon
What is the role of nuclear import receptors
Attach to proteins (TFs) that display nuclear localization signal seqeunces and transport them into nuclues via cytosolic fibrils of nuclear pore
What are the 5 acrocentric chromosomes
13, 14, 15, 21, 22
Define mosaicism
cells within same person have a different genetic makeup
Genetic variability is responsible for what two characteristics between individuals?
Diversity and individuality
What is nucleotide excision repair? what types of DNA damage does it repair?
NER: removes lengths of nucleotides in order to repair bulky, helix distorting damage. A common damage is thymine dimers caused by UV radiation
what is a missense mutation? How damaging are these?
a mutation of a nucleotide that alters the amino acid that is coded for. Could have no effect, small effect, or harmful effect…more data needed
how is Base excision repair being exploited in cancer therapeutics?
slowing down BER permits more disruption by chemotherapy’s induction of DNA damage
What does this mean: p.Phe134Leufs*51
refers to a protein where Phe at position 134 was changed to Leu…this frame shift created a stop codon 51 codons down.
Where are proteins always initially translated
The cytosol
proteins translated at ER-bound ribosomes are destined for (5)
ER, Golgi, endosomes, lysosomes, cell surface
What is base excision repair? What specific types of DNA damage will it repair?
repairs damage to single nitrogenous base. Ex: repairs purine loss, 8-oxo-guanine bases
Describe the process of whole exome sequencing
only sequences exons. Genomic DNA is fragmented–>fragments are bridge amplified (just another form of amplification)–>sequencing primers are added and sequenced using reversibly terminating nucleotides–>laser identifies the dNTP that was added to DNA strand
What is Swyer syndrome? what causes it?
Syndrome in which males (46, XY) develop external female sex characteristics. Caused by mutation in SRY TF on Y chromosome that in which the TF lacks a nuclear localization signal sequence
What is the relationship between centrosome, centromere, microtubules, and kinetichore
The kinetichore assembles at the centromere of chromosomes. The kinetichore is the attachment point of microtubules that originate from the centrosome at either pole of the cell during metaphase/anaphase
What is the percentage of genetic difference between individual humans?
0.3%. We are 99.6-99.9% identical
Describe Heterochromatin: packing? location? replicate late or early?
Condensed, located at centromeres, inactive loci and inactive X, late-replicating DNA.
what is clinical heterogeneity
diseases with very different phenotypes that are caused by mutations in the same gene
Describe the mitochondrial genome: Shape, copies/mitochondrion, genes, mutation rate, presence of introns/exons
Mitochondrial DNA is circular, each mitochondrion contains 5-10 copies of the circular DNA, 37 genes (rRNA, tRNA, 13 ox phos genes), high rate of mutations, no introns
Uniparental Disomy:
both chromosomes come from same parent
Aflotoxin B1 and tobacco polycyclic aromatic hydrocabons are examples of…
cancer causing agents
What is cDNA
double stranded DNA made from single stranded RNA using reverse transcriptase
Copy number variants/aberrations:
gain or loss of genetic material that can include the addition or absence of entire homologs of something much smaller
Main fxn of nuclues
contains genome, site of RNA and DNA synthesis
Achondroplasia: what is it? inheritance? GOF/LOF? MOA?
Dwarfism. Autosomal dominant. GOF. fibroblast growth receptor gene is mutated such that it is always turned on and always inhibiting bone growth.
What proteins are involved with mismatch repair, what are their 2 general role?
Two protein complexes: MLH1/PMS2; MSH2/MSH–>recognize mismatches and signal additional repair machinery
describe this person: 46, XX
A female with a normal number of chromosomes
what are the gates in which molecules enter or leave the nucleus
nuclear pores
What is a frame shift mutation? how harmful?
a change in nucleotide such that the reading frame for codons is shifted. Almost always harmful
Describe the range in severity of mosaicism
Phenotype may be mild depending on distribution of abnormal cells, and in general it is more mild the later mosaicism develops
How many bp in the human genome?
3x10^9 bp
What is non-penetrance
a mutation without a phenotype
Main fxn of ER
synthesis of most lipids; site of protein production and distribution to many organells
contrast becker muscular dystrophy with DMD
BMD is a milder form of DMD. Dystrophin gene is mutated in both. Dystrophin is absent in DMD and reduced/truncated in BMD
What is a cis-acting element
short stretch of DNA sequence that signals a specific protein to bind. Enhancer, silcencer and promoters all contain cis-acting elements