Luokat: Kaikki - disorders - genetics - meiosis

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Genetics

Genetic diseases can be categorized based on their origins and mechanisms. Chromosomal disorders arise from defects in either the number or structure of chromosomes, with Down syndrome being a notable example.

Genetics

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Genetic Diseases

Classification

(and prevalence; total prevalence = 31.5-73 per 1000)

Mitochondrial disorders

Diseases caused by alterations in the small cytoplasmic mitochondrial chromosome

Multifactorial disorders

Gene/Chromosome disorder plus other factors, like environmental factors

Prevalence of congenital malformations = 20-50 per 1000

diabetes

obesity

hypertension

heart disease

birth defects (cleft lip and palate),

Chromosomal disorders

(P= 6-9 per 1000)

Defective chromosome (number and/or structure)

Down syndrome (Trisomy 21)

Single gene disorders

Caused by mutant genes - either a single allele or a pair of alleles e.g. sickle cell trait/sickle cell anemia

X-Linked

P= 0.5-2 per 1000

Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy

Hemophilia A

Incongenentia Pigmenti

Vitamin-D resistant Rickets

Autosomal

Recessive

(P= 3-9.5 per 1000)

Cystic Fibrosis

Tay Sachs

Dominant

(P= 2-2.5 per 1000)

Neurofibromatosis

Familial Hypercholesteremia

Cell Cycle: Checkpoints and Control

Cell Cycle Control
Role of RB in the cell cycle regulation
Regulation of G1-S transition by p53

Regulation of p53 activity

P53 induces apoptosis-

P53 role in apoptosis - intrinsic pathway

Evasion of apoptosis as a hallmark for cancer

The balance between cell proliferation and apoptosis is influenced by

Tumour Suppressor Genes

genes that encode proteins that normally suppress tumor formation

Oncogenes

genes that contribute to the development of cancer

Caspase Cascade

2 tiers of caspase activation during apoptosis:

Effector caspases

carry out apoptosis

(caspases 3, 6, and 7)

Initiator caspases

activated through the apoptosis-signaling pathways

(caspases 2, 8, 9, and 10)

destroy essential cellular proteins, leading to controlled cell death

Intrinsic (Mitochondria) pathway

activation of caspase 9

activation of the downstream effector caspases 3, 6, and/or 7

The primary function of the apoptosome seems to be multimerization and allosteric regulation of the catalytic activity of caspase 9

Cytochrome c binds the adaptor apoptotic protease activating factor-1 (Apaf-1), forming a large multiprotein structure known as the apoptosome

BCL-2 Family

Protein Classes

Anti-apoptotic proteins:

BCL-2 and BCL-XL act to prevent permeabilization of the outer mitochondrial membrane by inhibiting the action of the pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins Bax and/or Bak

Pro-apoptotic proteins:

Upon membrane permeabilization, cytochrome c and the pro-apoptotic proteins (SMAC/DIABLO) are then able to translocate from the inter-membraner space of the mitochondria into the cytosol

those that only have the BH3 domain, such as Bid, Bad, Bim, Bmf, PUMA, and NOXA

– permeabilization of the mitochondrial membrane

Several BH domains (Bax and Bak)

contain signature domains of homology called BCL-2 homology (BH) domains

(termed BH1, BH2, BH3, and BH4)

cells with defects are forced to commit suicide

P53 protein senses DNA damage

-blocks Cdk2 stops progression of cell cycle in G1

ATM Role in Cell Cycle Control

ATM protein:

-maintain normal telomere length

interrupt cell cycle when damage is detected

-detects DNA damage

especially double-strand breaks

patients very high risk of cancer

(~100 fold increase)

the same disease name

ATM (Ataxia telangiectasia mutated)

Checkpoints: Quality control of the cell cycle

DNA Replication Checkpoints

damaged template, protein complexes bound to DNA, poor supply of NTPs = barriers in replication

stall replication forks

insert stalled fork

can rearrange, break, collapse through disassembly of the replication complex

-during the replication of the millions or billions of DNA base pairs

Spindle Checkpoints

-trigger apoptosis if the damage is irreparable

-arrest the cell in metaphase until all the kinetochores are attached correctly (M checkpoint)

-detect improper alignment of the spindle itself and block cytokinesis

-detect any failure of spindle fibers to attach to kinetochores

DNA Damage Checkpoints

-sense DNA damage before the cell enters S phase (G1 checkpoint)

Inhibition of Cdk1 – prevent the cell to go from G2 to mitosis

Damage too severe – cell enters apoptosis

-sense DNA damage after S phase (G2 checkpoint)

Inhibition of Cdk2- stops cell cycle progression until the damage is repaired

Cell cycle controlled by proteins (Cyclins and Cyclin-Dependent Kinases (CDKs)) in the cytoplasm:

M Control

Anaphase-promoting complex (APC)

Destroys B cyclins

attaching to ubiquitin-target for degradation by proteasomes

Separation of chromatids depends on the breakdown of the cohesins

Anaphase begins when the APC destroys securin

Separase is kept inactive by the securin (inhibitory chaperone)

Cohesin breakdown is caused by a protease called Separase

Allows sister chromatids at the metaphase plate to separate and move to the poles (anaphase)

Is activated by the M-phase promoting factor

M-phase promoting factor

These events take the cell to the metaphase of mitosis

mitotic B cyclins bound to M-phase Cdk (Cdk1) lead to

Cessation of all gene transcription

Breakdown of the nuclear envelope

Assembly of the mitotic spindle

CD1

Cyclin B

S Control

Mechanisms

Reactions leading to S phase and M phase

DNA replication continues

mitotic cyclins begin to rise (in G2)

- cyclin E is destroyed

Cdk activation/inactivation activity

Cyclin E binds to Cdk2

S-phase promoting factor (SPF)

prepare the cell to duplicate its DNA

enters the nucleus

cyclin A bound to Cdk2

CD2

Cyclins E and A

G1 Control

Mechanism

REgulation of the G1-S transition by p53

G1 Cyclins bind to their Cdks

cell prepares for replication

Proteins Involved

CD4, 6

Cyclin D

Cell Cycle
Meiosis

Meiosis Summary

Meiosis II

Segregation of the different paternal or maternal alleles of each gene

The 2 daughter cells from meiosis I divide to form 4 haploid cells with 23 chromosomes

Similar to an ordinary mitosis except the chromosome number is haploid

Meiosis I

Cytokinesis

-cell divides into 2 daughter cells and enters mitotic interphase

there is no S phase between the first and second meiotic divisions

-oogenesis

secondary oocytes receives almost all the cytoplasm and the reciprocal product becomes the first polar body

spermatogenesis

the cytoplasm is more or less equally distributed between the new cells

Telophase I

-the 2 sets of chromosomes are grouped at the opposite poles

Anaphase I

-errors can occur

meiotic arrest or cell death

missegregation of chromosomes

nondisjunction

-original paternal and maternal chromosome sets are sorted into random combinations (223)

-e.g a typical chromosome will have 3 to 5 segments alternately paternal and maternal in origin

-chromosome number is reduced in half

disjunction takes place

2 members of each bivalent move apart and the centromeres are drawn to opposite poles

Metaphase I

-paired chromosomes align themselves on the equatorial plane

-spindle forms

-nuclear membrane disappears

Prophase I

Diakinesis

Chromosomes reach maximal condensation

Diplotene

The 2 homologs are held together at chiasmata (crosses)

- ~ 50 in spermatocytes

2 components of each bivalent now begin to separate

Synaptonemal complex begins to break down

Pachytene

Meiotic crossing over takes place

Homologues appear as a bivalent (tetrad)

Chromosomes tightly coiled

Zygotene

Chromosomes held together by a synaptonemal complex

homologous chromosomes begin to align along their length

pairing/synapsis

Leptotene

Sister chromatids closely aligned

chromosomes replicated in S phase become visible and condensate

Phases

M - Mitosis

Telophase

The nuclei resume interphase appearance

Two daughters nuclei are formed

Nuclear membrane forms

Chromosomes decondensate

Anaphase

The chromatids become daughter chromosomes, moving at the poles

Chromosomes separate at the centromere

Begins suddenly

Metaphase

Facilitate the analysis of chromosomal abnormalities

Balanced by equal forces from the kinetochore

Chromosomes arranged in the equatorial plane of the cell

Chromosomes reach maximum condensation

Prometaphase

Continue condensation of the chromosomes

Chromosomes move towards the midway between the poles

= congression

Chromosomes attach by the kinetochores to microtubules of the mitotic spindle

Chromosomes disperse within the cell

Nuclear membrane breaks up

Prophase

Centrosomes gradually move to the poles of the cell

Pair of microtubule organizing center = centrosomes form foci

Beginning of the formation of the mitotic spindle

Gradual condensation of the chromosomes

Begins mitosis

G2 - Gap

preparation for mitosis

individual chromosomes begin to condense and become visible under microscope

cells enlarge

no DNA synthesis

- RNA and protein synthesis continues

at the end of S phase

S - Synthesis

synthesis of DNA and duplication of the centrosomes

DNA synthesis

- DNA content of the cell doubled

each chromosome replicates

– two sister chromatids

chromatids held together by the centromeres

associate with proteins=kinetochore

chromatids have at the end the telomeres

identical copy of the original DNA double helix

begins at hundreds-thousands of sites

origins of DNA replication

follows G1 phase

G1 - Gap

Liver cells

Cell damage?

may enter G0 but return to G1

some cells pass through this stage in hours, others in days or years

immediately after mitosis or G0

growth and preparation of the chromosomes for replication

G0 - Gap

quiescence can be either:

Permanent

Example:

Red blood cells too?

Nerve cells

Most lymphocytes in human blood are in Go

but with proper stimulation reenter the cell cycle in G1

never reenter the cell cycle, but carry their function until they die

terminally differentiated

Temporary

Cells in Go often called “quiescent

active repression of genes needed for mitosis

still attack pathogens

still have secretion

Genetic Variation

e.g. polymorphisms giving rise to blue eyes versus brown eyes, straight hair versus curly hair

Genotypes & Phenotypes
Phenotype

observable characteristics of an individual that have developed under the combined influences of the individual’s genotype and the effects of environmental factors

Genotype

HapMap

Health Benefits of the HapMap

Genetic variants contributing to longevity or resistance to disease could be identified, leading to new therapies with widespread benefits

Medical treatments could be customized, based on a patient's genetic make-up, to maximize effectiveness and minimize side effects

Cancer, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, depression, and asthma - result from the combined effects of a number of genetic variants and environmental factors

Identifying haplotypes can help in association studies (compare the haplotypes in individuals with a disease to the haplotypes of a comparable group of individuals without a disease )

Construction of the HapMap

Selected Populations

The DNA samples for the HapMap have come from a total of 270 people

Thirty U.S. trios provided samples - collected in 1980 from U.S. residents with northern and western European ancestry

In China, 45 unrelated individuals from Beijing provided samples

In Japan, 45 unrelated individuals from the Tokyo area provided samples

The Yoruba people of Ibadan, Nigeria, provided 30 sets of samples from two parents and an adult child

“Tag” SNPs within haplotypes are identified that uniquely identify those haplotypes

Adjacent SNPs that are inherited together are compiled into “haplotypes”

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are identified in DNA samples from multiple individuals

Hapmap Project is designed to provide information that other researchers can use to link genetic variants to the risk for specific diseases

A Hapmap is catalog of common genetic variants

how they are distributed among people within populations and among populations in different parts of the world

where they occur in our DNA

what these variants are,

Derived from Genetic Sequences

SNPs

Haploptypes

Origin of Haplotypes

all humans today are descended from ancestors who lived in Africa about 150,000 years ago

Some of the segments of the ancestral chromosomes occur as regions of DNA sequences that are shared by multiple individuals

Over the course of many generations, segments of the ancestral chromosomes in an interbreeding population are shuffled through repeated recombination events

Genetic variants that are near each other tend to be inherited together

E.g. all of the people who have an A rather than a G at a particular location in a chromosome can have identical genetic variants at other SNPs in the chromosomal region surrounding the A

These regions of linked variants are known as haplotypes

There are about 10 million common SNPs in a person's chromosomes

Changes in the DNA sequences – may increase the risk to high blood pressure, cancer, other diseases

Similar among 2 individuals but about every 1,000 nucleotides, the sequences will differ

Genotyping Analysis

High-throughput SNP genotyping

Used in association studies

process of quickly and cost-effectively identification of the SNP in many individuals in a given population

detection of the genotypes of individual SNPs

exact description of the genetic constitution of an individual, with respect to a single trait or a larger set of traits

Genetic Mutation
A change (associated with disease or risk of disease) in the nucleotide sequence of a DNA molecule

e.g. changes associated with disease or risk of disease

e.g. changes resulted from damage by external agents like radiation or viruses

Rare Variant
Allele frequency of less than 1%
Genetic Polymorphisms
Classifications

Stable Polymorphisms

Inherited variation and polymorphism translated in polymorphic proteins

Are clinically important:

Transplantation

Blood Transfusion

Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn

Clinical Relevance

Major Histocompatibility complex

3 Classes of Clusters (I, II, III)

class I and class II genes correspond to the human leucocyte antigen genes (HLA)

class III unrelated to HLA genes

class III unrelated to HLA genes

Some genes are associated with diseases

hemochromatosis

congenital adrenal hyperplasia

Genes present within the MHC complex but are functionally unrelated to HLA class I and II

Class II

Encode integral membrane cell surface proteins

Heterodimers

Beta subunit

alpha subunit

3 polymorphic Class II molecules, each consisting of an α and β chain

HLA-DR

3 α loci, 9 β loci,

each with multiple alleles - many combinations

HLA-DQ

34 α, 96 β alleles

3264 combinations

HLA-DP

27 α, 133 β alleles

3591 combinations

Class I Genes

class I and class II genes correspond to the human leucocyte antigen genes (HLA)

Encode proteins that are integral part of the plasma membrane of all nucleated cells

2 polypeptide subunits

another polypeptide, β2-microglobulin

a variable heavy chain

3 polymorphic class I α chain genes:

HLA-C

439 alleles

HLA-B

1178 alleles

HLA-A

767 alleles

MHC – composed of a large cluster of genes located on the short arm of chromosome 6

Blood groups and their polymorphisms

Rh System

The name comes from Rhesus monkeys – used for the experiments leading to the this system discovery

Hemolytic Diseases of the Newborn

Treatment:

Rh immune globulin at 28 to 32 weeks of gestation and again after pregnancy

If a Rh-negative pregnant woman – is carrying an Rh-positive fetus, hemolytic disease of the newborn can result:

The mother forms antibodies that will return to the fetus and damage the fetal red blood cells

Small amounts of fetal blood cross the placental barrier and reach the maternal blood stream

Phenotypes

Rh-negative individuals

Frequency of Rh negative varies enormously: and

0.5% among Japanese

7% in African Americans

~17% in Whites,

do not express the antigen

Rh-positive individuals

who express, on their red blood cells, the antigen Rh-D, a polypeptide encoded by a gene RHD on chromosome 1

Rh factors are glycoproteins encoded by alleles at 3 loci (C,D,E) exhibiting dominant/recessive expression

E

D

THey are encoded by the gene RHD which is found on chromosome 1

The D locus products are the most significant in terms of immune response

C

ABO Blood Groups

Blood Donation

Preferably a patient receives blood of his or her own ABO group

ABO compatibility of donor and recipient – essential to graft survival

Multiallelism:

4 phenotypes

Group O

Antigens Present: None

Antibodies Present: Anti-A, Anti-B

Group AB

Distribution: South America; North America

Antigens Present: A and B Antigens

Antibodies Present: None

Group B

Distribution: Asia

Antigens Present: B Antigen

Antibodies Present: Anti-A

Group A

Distribution: Europe, Australia, Northern Canada

Antigens Present: A antigen

Antibodies Present: Anti-B

Three alleles, two of which (A and B) are codominant and the third (O) is recessive (silent)

The O allele has a single base-pair deletion which causes a frame-shift mutation that eliminates the transferase activity in type O individuals

There is a four-nucleotide sequence difference between A and B alleles resulting in amino acid changes that alter the specificity of the galactosyl transferase encoded by the ABO gene

ABO polysaccharide antigens are exquisitely immunogenic

Determine by one gene on chromosome 9

– that encodes a galactosyl transferase

Inherited variation and polymorphism in DNA

Variable Number Tandem Repeats

Insertion-deletion polymorphisms

Short segments of 2, 3 or 4 to 6 bp repeated

Are prone to deletion, insertion, or duplication

Are used as molecular markers for kindship and in population studies

Have high mutation rate

become useful for examining relationships among individuals and breeding groups within populations

ensures high level of polymorphism

attributed to relatively high rates of error during during

recombination (unequal crossover)

DNA replication (slippage) and

are sections of DNA composed of short motifs (e.g. CA, GTG, TGCT etc) arranged in tandem

One common example - (CA)n repeat, where n is variable between alleles

Are repeating sequences of 1-5,6 base pairs of DNA

can be used as genetic markers in

DNA fingerprinting

DNA fingerprinting is widely used for individual identification

testing of paternity

the remains of victims and military personnel

suspects in criminal cases

Only identical twins show the same pattern

Probes are selected that identify VNTRs at many different loci

The most informative markers have several alleles, so that no two unrelated individuals would exhibit the same pattern upon electrophoresis

Each probe would generate a complex, unique pattern based on the VNTRs it picks up

Probes can be designed to detect many of these VNTR loci simultaneously

DNA sequences in the VNTR polymorphs, scattered throughout the genome are somewhat homologous to each other

forensic investigations,

linkage analysis of genomes

Each variant acts as an inherited allele

A short nucleotide sequence is organized as a tandem repeat

can have different length between individuals

These sequences are found on different chromosomes

Single Nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)

A source of variation in a genome

A subset of ~10% of the most frequent SNPs chosen to serve as the markers for a high-density map of the human genome (hHapMap)

Since the haploid genome is 3 × 109 bp, 3 million differences between any two randomly chosen individuals

1 in 1000 bp differ in any two randomly chosen humans

a single base difference in DNA

Transversion substitution

between a purine and pyrimidine

Transition substitution

between purines (A,G) or between pyrimidines (C,T)

Variant more common than 1% in the general population
A difference in DNA sequence among individuals, groups or populations

Organization of the Human Genome

Consists of large amounts of the chemical deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) – contains the genetic information needed for all aspects of a functional human organism

what are dna ratios ? 1 chromosome per mitoch? and 23 pairs per nucleus?

Mitochondrial Genome
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA

37 genes

24 RNA-encoding genes

22 tRNAs

corresponding to each AA

2 rRNAs (16S and 23S)

13 Protein-encoding genes

All other mitochondrial proteins (enzymes of the citric acid cycle, DNA and RNA polymerases)

imported into mitochondria via chaperone proteins

(hsp60, hsp 70)

synthesized on cytoplasmic ribosomes

encoded by nuclear DNA,

The 13 protein-encoding genes are subunits of enzymes of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS):

1 subunit (cytochome b) of the cytochrome c oxidoreductase complex

2 subunits of the F0 ATPase complex

3 subunits of the cytochrome oxidase complex

7 subunits of the NADH dehydrogenase complex

All mtDNA genes are maternally inherited in humans

All mtDNA genes contain only exons

a circular chromosome, 16.5 kb
Nuclear Genome

The Genome includes

Repeated Sequences

Segmental duplications

can span hundreds of kilobase pairs

5% of the genome

Interspersed Repeated Sequences

LINEs (long interspersed nuclear elements) family

found in about 850,000 copies per genome

20% of the genome

-are up to 6-7kb in length

SINEs (short interspersed nuclear elements): Alu family

more than a million Alu family members in the genome

10% of human DNA

are about 300 base pairs in length

Clustered Repeated Sequences

Microsatellites

Minisatellites

long arrays of repeats

found in large inert regions on:

Chromosome 7

Chromosome 16

Chromosome 9

Chromosome 1

α-Satellite DNA

at the centromere of each human chromosome

copies of 171-base pair unit

can be several million base pairs

several percent of the DNA content of an individual chromosome

-=tandem repeats

Satellite DNAs

10-15% of the genome

Unique Sequences

Types

Non-repetitive DNA that is neither intron nor coding

Genes

Epigenetics & Epigenetic Control

Human Epigenome Project (HEP)

it constitutes the main and so far missing link between genetics, disease and the environment that is widely thought to play a decisive role in the etiology of human pathologies

Methylation is the only flexible genomic parameter that can change genome function under exogenous influence

methylation variable positions (MVPs) are common epigenetic markers

aims to identify, catalogue and interpret genome-wide DNA methylation patterns of all human genes in all major tissues

Affects the transcription of protein-encoding and RNA-encoding genes

Gene expression can be altered (to produce altered trait or disase) by chemical modification of

Histones (via acetylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitinization)

Chromatin remodeling complexes

control the local structure of chromatin

large multiprotein complexes containing helicases, which can unwind DNA double helices

works in conjunction with DNA methylation

Methods

Ubiquitination

Phosphorylation

Methylation

Acetylation

Acetylation of histone increases the likelihood of neighboring DNA segments to be transcrib

DNA (via methylation)

involved in genomic imprinting

Genomic imprinting involved in normal development and several diseases

Methylation of cytosine nucleotides

induces silencing

decreases the probability of that segment being transcribed

Gene Families

Dispersed

Exon-intron pattern is closely conserved –

more base changes have accumulated in the intron sequences than in the exons

Genes within each cluster are more similar in sequence -

evolved by duplication over last 100 million years

Two clusters code for closely related globin chains expressed at different development stages from embryo to adult

Genes encoding related functional proteins can be dispersed on a single chromosome or on 2 or more different chromosomes

Clusters

Multiple Clusters

located throughout the genome

e.g. Immunoglobulin superfamily

hundreds of genes encoding a conserved domain of ~ 70 aa which provide a distinct structural protein motif;

Compound Clusters

E.g. Major Histocompatibility Complex - HLA genes

related and unrelated genes are clustered on a single chromosome

Single Clusters

genes are controlled by a single expression control locus

e.g. Ig H chain

close cluster-

genes are organized as tandem repeated array

Gene superfamily:

a group of genes that exhibit low sequence homology, but they are similar in the encoded protein function and structure

(e.g. Ig super family, globin super family, myosins, G-protein receptor super family)

Classic gene family

a group of genes that exhibit a high degree of sequence homology over most of the gene length

Gene families thought to have arisen by duplication of primitive precursor genes as long as 500 million years ago

Many genes belong to families of closely related DNA sequences

RNA-encoding genes

3 major classes

Regulatory

Riboswitch RNA (site on mRNA)

Anti-sense RNA (block mRNA)

Micro RNA (miRNA; block mRNA)

Regulatory (usually inhibitory)

Transfer (tRNA)

Ribosomal (rRNA) and splicesomal (snRNA)

can alter gene expression, and also produce altered traits or disease

produce non-protein translated RNAs

can profoundly alter normal gene expression and hence produce an altered trait or disease

not a protein

Protein-encoding genes

-mutation or alteration in the DNA sequence results in an altered trait or disease

-gene encodes the message transcribed to pre-RNA, to mRNA, which is translated into a product protein

Components

Introns

Some genes lack introns

e.g. histones

There is a direct correlation between gene size and intron size

typically several are found in most genes

total size of which frequently exceeds that of exons

highly variable in size

Non-coding sequences

Exons

small proportion of whole genome

200bp

Protein/RNA encoding regions

Size can be variable

Examples

2400kb

Dystrophin gene

45 kb

LDL gene

1.7 kb

Insulin Gene

Promoters and regulatory elements can be sites of mutation

enhancers, silencers, locus control regions

(either at 5’ or 3’ of the gene or in its introns)

Adjacent nucleotide sequences – provide “start” and “stop” signals for the synthesis of mRNA transcribed

a sequence of DNA that is required for production of a functional product (polypeptide or RNA molecule)

Most single-copy DNA is found in short stretches, interspersed with various repetitive DNA families

Makes up about half of the DNA in the genome

Human Chromosomes

Chromatin

during cell division – chromatin condenses –visible microscopically as discrete structures

Chromatin Packing

Chromosomes pass through stages of condensation and decondensation into a DNA mitotic chromosome that is 10,000x shorter than its extended length.

Decondensed

Interphase Nucleus

most decondensed stage – interphase

Distinctive chromosome puffs arise and old puffs recede as new genes are expressed and old ones are turned off

Chromatin loops decondense at loop domain when the genes are expressed

Achieved by

RNA polymerase

CHromatin remodelling complexes

Histone modifying enzymes

Each loop contains -10,000bp of DNA

Stages of Condensation

Whole Mitotic Chromosome

Condensed section of chromosome

700nm

Loops

Solenoids packed into loops attached at intervals of about 100,000 base pairs to a protein scaffold (H1)

Solenoid Fibres

Most condensed phase

-30 nm diameter

Nucleosomes compacted into a secondary helical structure

Nucleosome Fibre

beads-on-a-string

-10 to 11 nm

140 bp of DNA

Five types of histones –packing of chromatin:

H1

binds to DNA in the internucleosomal spacer region and participates in compaction

H2A, H2B, H3 and H4

Variation

Histone Code

The pattern of major and specialized histones + their modifications

Specific to cell types

Histones H3 and H4 can be modified – post-translational modifications

– can change the properties of nucleosomes that contain them

There are specialized histones – can substitute for H3 and H2A

– specific characteristics to the DNA

2 copies of H2A, H2B, H3 and H4 form an octamer around which a segment of DNA double helix winds

There is 20-60 base pair “spacer”

~140 base pairs of DNA associated with each histone core

Core dna has linker dna on both ends around the histone

nucleosomes

110 A across

55A tall

Double Helix

2nm in width

distributed throughout the nucleus, relatively homogenous under the microscope

Genomic DNA - complexed with chromosomal proteins (histones and nonhistones)

Chromosomes

found in nucleus and nucleolus

Structure

Each chromosome consists of a single, continuous DNA double helix

3 Forms

Z-DNA

B-DNA

This form is the one usually found under physiological conditions

A-DNA

1 helical turn is 3.4nm

2 nm in diameter

Minor and Major Grooves along length

– 46 DNA molecules = 6 billion nucleotides

Human chromosomes showing the centromeres and well-defined chromatids

Active or inactive centromeres surrounded by flanking heterochromatin

Features

Karyotype

are studied in Cytogenetics for their clinical relevance with regards to

-Prenatal Diagnosis

-Cancer Cytogenetics

-Gene Mapping and Identification

-Clinical Diagnosis

Contain the genes aligned at specific position or locus

Specific number and morphology for each species

Chromosomes complement

98% non-coding DNA

2% of the nuclear genome – coding DNA

~ 3000 RNA-encoding genes (DNA to RNA; no translation to protein)

~27,000 protein-encoding genes (DNA to mRNA to protein)

46 chromosomes:

x and Y sex chromosomes

22 autosomes

The Study of Genetics

Types of Genetics applicable to Humans
Major areas of Specialization within Human and Medical Genetics

Nutrigenomics

Study of molecular relationships between nutrition and the response of genes

Pharmacogenetics

Study of genetic basis for variation in drug response

Clinical genetics

Application of genetics to diagnosis & patient care

Developmental genetics

Study of the genetic control of development

Population genetics

Study of genetic variation in human population & the factors that determine allele frequencies

Genomics

Study of the genome, its organization & functions

Molecular & Biochemical genetics

Study of the structure & function of individual genes

Cytogenetics

Study of chromosomes, their structure & inheritance

Cytogenetic analysis

Subtopic

Performed in cells capable of growth and rapid division in culture (e.g. T lymphocytes)

Cell types used for chromosomal analysis

Sources include:

Solid tumors

Bone marrow

Fibroblast cultures

Chorionic villus

Amniotic fluid

Peripheral blood ( T lymphocytes)

Clinical indications for cytogenetic test

Cancer

Useful for diagnosis or prognosis

Chromosomal aberrations in almost all cancers

Family history

Chromosome abnormality in a first-degree relative

Advanced age of a pregnant woman

Should be offered as a prenatal test

Increased risk of chromosomal aberrations in women older than 35 years

Fertility problems

Women presenting amenorrhea

Couples with recurrent miscarriages

Couples with history of infertility

Stillbirth and neonatal deaths

Important for genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis in future pregnancies

Abnormalities of early growth and development

Ambiguous genitalia

Mental retardation

Failure to thrive

Developmental delays

Multiple congenital malformations

Chromosomal abnormalities

Chromosomal disorders

Observed in

2% of pregnancies of women older than 35 years

20% of second trimester spontaneous abortions

~50% of spontaneous first-trimester abortions

Occur in ~1 of every 150 live births

Chromosomes nomenclature

Chart of Chromosome Nomenclature

Chromosomes classification

Acrocentric

Submetacentric

Metacentric

Banding

Example - Idiogram

detection of deletions, duplications

correct identification of individual chromosomes

-specific chromosome bands

Basic terminology for banded chromosomes - Paris 1971

International System for Human Cytogenetic Nomenclature (ISCN) – nomenclature reports

Chromosomes morphology

p=petit

q=queue

Telomeres

reduction in telomerase and decrease in number repeats important in aging and cell death

maintained by enzyme – telomerase

telomere consists of tandem repeats TTAGGG

seal chromosomes and retain chromosome integrity

tip of each chromosome

Centromeres

Divides the chromosome into

long (q=queue) arms

short (p=petit) arms

movement during cell division

Definitions

Karyotype

test to identify and evaluate chromosomes in different cell types for their

Shape

Size

Number

Clinical Cytogenetics

the study of the chromosomes and their abnormalities

Medical Genetics:

Deals with the subset of human genetic variation that is of significance in the practice of medicine & in medical research (refers to abnormal hereditary patterns/variations that lead to pathological conditions).

Human Genetics:

Study of variation & heredity in human beings (refers to normal hereditary patterns).

Classification of Genetics
Molecular Genetics

Watson & Crick

1953-62

Established the molecular structure of the "gene" encoded by DNA ,

the basic chemical units of hereditary

Concerns the chemical nature of the gene itself: how genetic information is encoded, replicated and expressed

Population Genetics

Charles Darwin

Feb 12 1809 to Apr 19 1882

Theory of Evolution

Came up with Theory of Evolution which rests on 3 principles:

Principle of Selection

Some forms are more successful at surviving and reproducing than other forms in a given environment

Principle of Heredity

Offspring resemble their parents more than they resemble unrelated individuals

Principle of Variation

Among individuals within any population, there is a variation in morphology, physiology and behavior

The voyage of the beagle led to the origin of species

Explores the genetic composition of individual members of the same species(population) and how that composition changes over time and geographic space

Involved with species variations and survival risks

Transmission Genetics

G. J. Mendel

July 20 1822 to Jan 6 1884 - FATHER OF GENETICS

Experiments on Plant Hybridization – presented in 1865

Significance

Mendel’s work is still recognized as the foundation of modern genetics

Originally formulated for cultivated peas, Mendelian laws can also be applied to determine the pattern of transmission of inherited human diseases

Mendelian Laws

The Principle of Incomplete Dominance

when the heterozygote has a phenotype intermediate between the phenotypes of the two homozygotes

e.g. Fruit Colour in Eggplant

a) P generation: PP purple x pp white

b) F1: Pp violet crossed with self

c) F2: 1 PP purple: 2 Pp violet: 1: pp white

Conclusion:

genotypic ratios and phenotypic ratios remain the same.

Fruit colour in eggplant is inherited as an incompletely dominant characteristic

The principle of independent assortment

when two alleles separate, their separation is independent of the separation of alleles at other loci

Experiment: Do alleles coding different traits separate independently Methods P generation Round Yellow Seeds (RRYY) x wrinkled Green seeds (rryy) F1 – Round, Yellow Seeds (RrYy) crossed with self F2 – 9 round yellow: 3 round green: 3 wrinkled yellow: 1 wrinkled green; Conclusion: the allele encoding colour separated independently from the allele encoding seed shape, producing a 9:3:3:1 phenotypic ratio in the F2 progeny;

The principle of segregation

two alleles of a locus on homologous chromosomes separate when gametes are formed

e.g. R, round, r, wrinkled

Encompasses the basic heredity and how traits are passed from one generation to another

Demonstrated the transmission of genetic traits from one generation to the next

Mendelian Conclusions

A trait may not show up in an individual but can still be passed on to the next generation

An individual inherits one such unit from each parent for each trait

The inheritance of each trait is determined by "units" or "factors" (now called genes) that are passed on to descendents unchanged

Procedure

F1 crossed with P1 homozygous recessive to reveal ½ dominant and ½ recessive phenotypes in the F2

e.g. Yy yellow x yy green = ½ Yy yellow, ½ yy green

F1 was crossed with self to reveal ¾ dominant and ¼ recessive phenotypes in the F2.

e.g. Yy yellow x Yy yellow = ¼ YY yellow, ½ Yy yellow, and ¼ yy green

Homozygous Dominant and Recessive Parental Generation (P) crossed to make F1 progeny which was all dominant phenotype

e.g. Yellow pea (YY) x Green (yy) = 100% Yy, yellow progeny

Genetics
is concerned with diversity, replication, mutation & translation of information in the genes of all living organisms
study of the mechanism by which “hereditary” information is passed from generation to generation

Introduction to Genetics

Historical landmarks in Genetics
1990 - 2003

The Human Genome Project

The project was started by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Energy in an effort to reach six set goals:

Addressing the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) that may arise from the project

Transferring technologies to private sectors

Improving the tools used for data analysis

Storing all found information into databases

Determining sequences of chemical based pairs in human DNA

Identifying all genes in human DNA

(initial estimate were approximately 100,000 genes which was reduced as research progressed)– only 25,000 genes have true known functions.

the project finished in April 2003, taking only thirteen years (50th years anniversary from DNA double helix structure by Watson & Crick)

was a molecular genetics project thatbegan in 1990 and was projected to take fifteen years to complete

1977

Allan Maxam and Walter Gilbert (Harvard) and Frederick Sanger (U.K. Medical research Council) independently develop methods for sequencing DNA

1972

Paul Berg - and co-workers create the first recombinant DNA molecule

1956

the correct number of human chromosomes were specified – led to the discovery in 1959 that Down syndrome is caused by an extra chromosome 21

1952

Hershey-Chase - identified DNA (rather than protein) as the genetic material of viruses, further evidence that DNA was the molecule responsible for inheritance

Experiment with E.Coliand bacterial chromosome plus phage and phage chromosome

1. Phage attaches to E. Coli and injects chromosme

2. Bacterial Chromosome break down and the phage chromosome replicates

3. Expression of Phage genes produces Phage structural component

4. Progeny Phage particles assemble

5. Bacterial wall lyses releasing progeny phages.

1944

Avery, McLeod and McCarthy - demonstrated that the transforming factor in bacterial transformation of non-virulent to virulent form was DNA

1930

Phoebus A. Levene - indicated nucleic acids contained four nitrogenous bases - thymine, cytosine, guanine and adenine (RNA contained uracil, but not thymine)

1928

Fredrick Griffith - reported the phenomenon which came to be known as TRANSFORMATION - transformed non-virulent Streptococcus pneumonia to a virulent form by cell-free materials from virulent bacteria

1909

Johannsen coined the term “gene” as unit of heredity

1902

Garrod described alkaptonuria as the first “inborn error of metabolism”

1900

Landsteiner discover ABO blood group

1895

Edmund Wilson - suggested that inheritance might result from the transmission of chemical compounds - proposed nucleic acid or protein as the candidate

The lack of knowledge of the nucleic acids and their versatility, combined with the advances in protein chemistry, led to the belief that "protein" is the right candidate

1871

Fredrich Miescher - extracted a substance he called "nuclein" composed of protein and nucleic acid from the cell nuclei

1865

Mendel - published the work on inheritance but was overlooked for many years until 1900