CELL AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE Flashcards
(189 cards)
What is a gene?
A length of DNA that encodes for a particular protein
What is meant by “locus”?
The precise position of a gene in the linear order of the chromosome
What is an allele?
An alternative form of a gene
What term means that 2 chromosomes carry the same alleles? And what is it’s anonym?
Homozygous
Heterozygous
Name 4 different forms of DNA mutation?
Promoter and splice site sequence change
Base change causing a single amino acid change
Insertion/deletion of bases (can be “in-frame” or “out of frame”)
Trinucleotide repeat expansions
What is the difference between mendelial and non-mendelian inheritance?
Mendelian: A change in a single gene, sufficient to cause clinical disease e.g. autosomal dominant/recessive and X linked
Non-mendelian: everything else including common “multifactorial” diseases
What does allelic heterogeneity mean?
Different mutations in the same gene can cause the same disease
(different locations in same gene = same disease)
What does locus heterogeneity mean?
The same disease might be caused by mutations in one of several genes.
(different genes = same disease)
What dos consanguineous mean?
Famillies where the parent’s are cousins hence they have 12.5% of shared genes
In the sex chromosomes, where do the mutations lie.. on the x or y chromosome?
X
What is nonpenetrance?
Failure of a genotype to manifest
What is variable expression?
Different family members may show different features of a disorder
Name two complications that occur in basic pedigree patterns and why they occur?
Non-penetrance and variable expression
Due to influence of other genes and environment
Where is your mitochondrial DNA inherited from? and what genes does it contain?
Mother
contains important genes for mitochondrial metabolic pathways and ribosomal RNAs
How does G1 differ from G2?
G1 involves checking that the cell is nutritionally sufficient to divide. G2 is checking that the DNA replication in S phase is sound
What is the structural difference between activated CDK- cyclin complex vs inactivated?
Inactivated: cdk, cyclin, 2 phosphate groups (activating and inhibitory) Phosphorylation via protein kinases
Activated: lacks the inhibitory phosphate
Name 2 protein kinases involved in the phosphorylation of cdk-cyclin complexes?
Wee1 and Cak (CDK-activating-kinase)
What is the R point?
The point at G1 at which the cell no longer requires growth factors to complete the cell.
This is the point when the cell decides if it’s going to divide or not.
What is the mechanism for ubiquitination?
- Ubiquitin has to be activated which requires an E1 enzyme
- Ubiquitin gets conjugated through an E2 enzyme
- Ubiquitin is transferred using an E3 enzyme (E3 ubiquitin ligase). It is the combination of the E2 and E3 that recognises the substrate, this allows the transfer of the ubiquitin onto the substrate
Function of a proteasome?
To recognise ubiquitinated cyclin
What is the function of cdk inhibitors? 1 example?
Function: controls of the checkpoints.
Transcription of inhibitors can be induced if conditions are not right for cell division (e.g. p21)
They sit on top of cyclin-cdk complex and prevent its activation
Describe how the activation of p16 prevents cell proliferation?
When p16 is active the cdk-complex of cdk 4 and cyclin D is inactive. These leads to activation of Rb protein which represses the expression of E2F transcription factor.
What is cdc6?
CDC6 (cell division cycle 6): Gene which encodes for a protein which initiates DNA replication. Once it has done its job (initiated DNA replication it is phosphorylated.
What is p53?
p53 (aka TP53 or tumor protein) is a gene that codes for a protein that regulates the cell cycle and hence functions as a tumor suppression. It is very important to suppress cancer.