Genetic disorders Patho Flashcards
(129 cards)
Contents of the Human Genome

How does DNA get damaged

Estimated rates of DNA damage per human cell per day

How does DNA damage lead to cancer and ageing

WHich mutations are passed on the offspring
Permanent change in the nucleotide sequence or arrangement of DNA
- Mutations involving germ cells (e.g., ovum) can be transmitted to offspring
- Mutations involving somatic cells are not transmitted to offspring
WHat is a point mutation
Change in a single nucleotide base in a nucleotide sequence.
Silent, nonsence and missense.

What is a silent mutation
DNA codes are altered for the same amino acid withotu changing the phenotypic effect
Missense mutation
Point mutation in which a single nucleotide change results in a codon that codes for different amino acids (eg, sicke cell trait/disease); accounts for 50% of disease-causing mutations
Nonsense mutation
Altered DNA codes for a stop codon that causes prmature termination of protein synthesis; accounts for 10% of isease producing mutations.
Sickle cell trait and sickle cell disease patho
- Missense mutation occurs when adenine replaces thymidine, causing valine to replace glutamic acid in the sixth position of the B globin chain.
- As a result, red blood cells spontaneously sickle in the peripheral blood if the maount of sickle haemoglobin is greater than 60%.

What is a framehsift mutation
- Insertion or deletion of of one or more nucleotides bases shiftsthe reading frame of the DNA strand
- If the number of bases that is added or deleted is not a multiple of three, a frameshift results in premature termination of protein synthesis downstream from the mutation.
- This type of mutation accounts for 25% of disease causing mutations.
- Tay sachs disease is an example
Tay-Sachs disease- patho
- Framehsift mutation - 4base insertion results in an altered DNA code leading to decreased synthesis of hexosaminidase
- It is a rare neurodegenerative inherited condition that mainly affects babies and young children. It stops the nerces working properly and is usually fatal. It used to be most common in those with Ashenazi jewish decent (Most jewish people in uk) but many cases now occur in other ethnic backgrounds.

Non-framehsift mutation
If the number of base pairs that is either deleted or inserted is a multiple of three, it is not a frameshift mutation and the translated protein has either gained or lost amino acids
Eg cf
Cystic fibrosis - the mutation
- Non-frameshift mutation
- Example: In cystic fibrosis, a three-nucleotide deletion that normally codes for phenylalanine produces a protein (i.e., cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator [CFTR]) that is missing phenylalanine …… The defective CFTR is degraded in the Golgi apparatus

Trinucleotide Repeat Disorder
- Trinnucleotide repeat disorder is an example of DNA replication error. It is an uncommon cause of a disease-causing mutation
- There is an amplification of a sequence of 3 nucleotides, which prevents the normal expression of the gene
- Most trinucleotide repeats (TRs) contain guanine (G) and/ or cytosine (C)
- Examples of TR disorders and their triplet repeats include fragile X syndrome (FXS) with a CGG repeat; myotonic dystrophy (MD) with a CTG repeat; Friedrich ataxia (FA) with a GAA repeat; and Huntington disease (HD) with a CAG repeat
Fragile X syndrome
- Physical - large prominent ears, long face, large head, prominent forehead and jaw, hyperflexible joints, lrge testis
- ID OR LD - avg, IQ 40-50, decline with age in childhood, specific cognitive profile, most common presentation speech delay.
- Motor coordination/ Praxis Deficits
- Behaviour problems - LIMITIGN anxiety (65%), attent (57%), sensory hypersensitivity (51%), hyperactivty (43%), agression (38%) and perseveration (32%)
- ASD: 43-67%
- Medical - seizures (12%), strabismus (18%), frequent otitis media (55%) , GE reflux (10%), sleep apnea (7%), loose stools (12%)
- ▪ Tendency for expanding (amplifying) TRs is highly dependent on the sex of the parent transmitting the disease. For example, expansion of TRs in FXS primarily occurs in oogenesis, whereas in Huntington disease, it occurs in spermatogenesis
▪ Number of TRs determines the severity of the disease. For example, in FXS, unaffected individuals have 5 to 54 CGG repeats, individuals with premutations have 55 to 200 CGG repeats (normal to mild disease), and those with full mutations have more than 200 repeats (more severe disease)
Effects of an Amplification that occurs in noncoding areas of the gene (intron)
Amplification that occurs in noncoding areas of the gene (intron) produce a loss-of function type of mutation manifested as a decrease in protein synthesis
▪ Examples of diseases that fit under this category include FXS, myotonic dystrophy, and Friedrich ataxia. Because protein synthesis is decreased in the these disorders, multiple organ systems are adversely affected
Mendelian Disorders - Single-gene mutations that produce large effects
▪ The majority of mendelian disorders are familial (80%–85% of cases); however, the remainder are new mutations
▪ Patterns of single-gene mutations chiefly depend on whether a dominant or recessive phenotype is present in a chromosome pair
a. Dominant phenotype is expressed when only one chromosome of a pair carries the mutant allele (gene).
b. Recessive phenotype is expressed only when both chromosomes of a pair carry mutant alleles.
▪ Chromosomal location of the gene locus of the mutation may be on an autosome (chromosomes 1 to 22) or on a sex chromosome (chromosomes X and Y)
The vast majority of sex chromosome disorders are X-linked
▪ The four basic single-gene mutation disorders are autosomal recessive (most common type), autosomal dominant, X-linked recessive (XR), and X-linked dominant (XD)
Protein defects asociated with selected mendelian disorders

Sex chromosomes and their structure

Pattern of autosomal recessiv einheritance
A, Pattern of autosomal recessive inheritance. Note that both parents (*) are heterozygous for the disease. B, Pedigree illustrating the typical pattern in autosomal recessive disease inheritance. The affected individual is shown in solid red, and carriers outlined in red, with the normal gene being indicated by a and the disease gene by A. Autosomal recessive inheritance typically results in the disease being seen in siblings, regardless of their gender, but usually not in previous generations. Only about a quarter of the offspring of carrier parents are affected, and sibling expression is therefore only likely in larger families, although another 50% are carriers. In very rare disorders, consanguinity is likely to be evident in the family.

Pedigree of autosomal recesisve disorder

Autosomal recessive disorders
Individuals with autosomal recessive disorders must be homozygous (aa) for the mutant recessive gene (a) to express the disorder
▪ Homozygotes (aa) are symptomatic early in life
▪ Heterozygous individuals (Aa) are usually asymptomatic carriers. Dominant gene (A) overrides the mutant recessive gene (a)
▪ Both parents must be heterozygous (Aa) to transmit the disorder to their children
(Link 6-4 A, B; Fig. 6-3 B). Example of an autosomal recessive disorder: Aa × Aa →
AA, Aa, Aa, aa (25% without disorder [AA]; 50% asymptomatic carriers [Aa]; 25% with
disorder [aa])
▪ New mutations are uncommon
▪ Complete penetrance is common (i.e., homozygotes express the disease)- Penetrance refers to the proportion of individuals with the mutation who exhibit clinical symptoms
Cystic fibrosis rate














































