Werner syndrome, also known as Adult Progeria, is a devastating disease characterized by early aging, short and thin stature, and bilateral ocular cataracts. Patients with this disease also experience increased susceptibility to cancer and a lower expected lifespan. Since Werner syndrome is an autosomal recessive disease, patients will therefore need recessive alleles from both parents to fall victim to the disease. The WRN protein is a member of the RecQ family of DNA helicases and is involved in diverse pathways including DNA repair, replication, Telomere metabolism, and P53 mediated pathways. (Agrelo paper). Werner syndrome is strongly associated with a decreased amount of the complete WRN protein.
Patients with Werner syndrome have mutations
The disease Angelman Syndrome, named after the physician Harry Angelman, was first diagnosed in 1965. It is now known that the disease results from the loss of function of UBE3A, a gene. One is normally inherited from each parent. The copy inherited from the mother is active in certain areas of the brain. If this copy of the gene UBE3A is lost due to chromosomal change or gene mutation, the lost gene will not have active copies in parts of the brain. A majority (70%) of Angelman syndrome cases happen when a segment of the maternal chromosome 15 is lost or destroyed. A minority of the disease is caused by a mutation or loss of function of the mother’s copy of the UBE3A gene. The majority of cases result from uniparental disomy, which is when the son or daughter inherits two copies of chromosome 15 from his or her father. Translocation, or chromosomal rearrangement, can also cause the disease. Most cases of this disease are not inherited, instead are a result of deletion in the maternal chromosome 15. Across 1. 2 copies of chromosome 15 are inherited from the father Down 1 Person who first diagnosed this disease 2 Disease the magazine is about 3 A gene 4 a minority of this disease is caused by this 5 Chromosomal rearrangement DISEASE BACKGROUND PAGE 1
“Are Telomeres the Key to Aging and Cancer?” Learn.Genetics.11 February 2014. University of Utah. http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/chromosomes/Telomeres/
Firstly, there is an unmistakable link between telomeres, telomerase, and cancer. In eukaryotic cells, the chromosomes are linear and undeviating DNA molecules1. Due to this fact and due to the natural technicalities of DNA replication, diminutive amounts of DNA are not replicated and are lost every time a cell divides1. To prevent irreplaceable and important genes from being lost and inflicting damage upon the cell, telomeres, which are non-coding strands of DNA, are present at the ends of the chromosomes2, 8. The shortening of telomeres is associated with the mortality of cells; when telomeres run out, the coding regions of the chromosomes are susceptible to be damaged instead, leading to the loss of cellular functions and eventual cell death2, 8. Telomeres are produced by an enzyme called telomerase, which ceases to be completely active after the development of the embryo2. Recent research has proven that telomere shortening paves the way for cancer, driving the gene...
Eisenmenger Syndrome (ES) is a heart defect that was first giving the name in 1897 (Fukushima, 2015). This syndrome happens when the birth defect is not treated before the lungs’ arteries become damaged. Eisenmenger Syndrome is named after Victor Eisenmenger a man who had a patient who showed symptoms such as, breathing complications and skin that was turning a bluish color. The autopsy of this patient lead him to discover a ventricular septal defect [VSD] (El-Chami, 2014), that causes a hole in the wall on the right and left ventricular. This is the defect that begins when signaling for pulmonary artery hypertension, which progresses into more advanced stages of ES. This birth defect eventually causes patients to have various
(Calendar 2013) Waardenburg Syndrome is a rare genetic disorder meaning that is caused by a mutation of genes. The disorder is classified as type I, II, III, or IV based on inheritance pattern and symptoms (Genetics 2013). Waardenburg Syndrome is an incurable disorder that is inherited from either one or both parents. If it came from one parent, it is an autosomal dominant pattern and if it came from both, it is known as an autosomal recessive pattern (Calendar 2013).
The size of the terminal deletion may vary from a subtle 1.4Mb to a classic 30Mb [5]. Earlier genotype-phenotype correlation studies reveal that the main characteristic feature of WHS - the ‘Greek warrior helmet face’, is caused due to the hemizygosity of the WHSC1 gene located in the WHS critical region (WHSCR).[5] Various other genes are also located in the WHSCR which are responsible for most other phenotypic features. More precisely, the Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome critical region (WHSCR) is located at 4p16.3 region. Approximately 25% of the patients with WHS deletion in this region are not detectable by cytogenetic karyotyping [6]. Hence, FISH has to be performed.
The main cause of Progeria is a genetic mutation. This disease stems from "a single-nucleotide substitution that leads to aberrant splicing of the LMNA, the gene that encodes for the A-type nuclear lamins."(Kudlow, Kennedy, and Monnat 398) This single-letter misspelling occurs on chromosome 1 of the gene, which codes for lamin A. A point mutation from cytosine to thymine ensues near the end of the LMNA gene, a discovery by the Collins Laboratory. Gly608Gly,the most common mutation, results in "one hundred and fifty nucleotides encoded in exon eleven to be spliced out of the final mRNA and results in a protein that lacks 50 amino acids." (Kudlow, Kennedy, and Monnat 399) Now that the mutation has taken place, the cells begin to synthesize abnormal lamin A proteins known as Progerin. Newly produced Progerin still have the attached farnesyl group engendering the Progerin to connect to the nuclear membrane permanently. Due to thi...
This extremely rare disease is caused by a mutation in the LMNA gene. Normally this gene produces a protein called Lamin A. This protein functions as a structural component in the nuclear envelope, and plays an important role in determining the shape of the nucleus. According to Sarkar, mutations that cause Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome result from the defective Lamin A protein. This alteration creates an unstable nuclear envelope there by damaging the nucleus. Cellular instability leads to the process of premature aging
Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome other wise known as “Progeria”, or “HGPS”, is a very rare, and fatal genetic disorder characterized by an appearance of accelerated aging in young children. The rate of aging is accelerated up to seven times that of a normal life span in first 13 years of life. Progeria comes from the Greek word (πρό), “pro” meaning premature and (γῆρας), “gerias” meaning old age. While there are different forms of Progeria, the most sever form of progeria is formally known as Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome, which was named after the doctors in England: in 1886 by Dr. Jonathan Hutchinson who described the syndrome, and by Dr. Hastings Gilford who independently discovered it in 1904 (Jameson).
The most common way of getting Angelman syndrome is through chromosome deletion. This is responsible for about 68% of all cases o...
The human genome is a remarkable system composed of over 3 billion DNA base pairs that encode for the characteristics that makes people distinctly human and unique themselves. Without the genome’s nearly flawless ability to self-replicate the human species would cease to exist. As incredible as this replication methodology is, it is not without its faults. Genetic mutations, though rare and typically harmless, can strike at any time and in various ways. Still, when they do cause harm the effects can be profound and impossible to ignore. Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) is an instance where the mutation of just one nucleotide has devastating results. The Mayo Clinic defines progeria as a progressive genetic disorder that causes children to age rapidly, beginning in their first two years of life. This study defines the disease of progeria by outlining symptoms and identifying causes that lead to its diagnosis. In addition, treatment methods and extensive research that give those affected by the disease hope for a brighter future are highlighted.
... starts relaxing the supercoils and altering of DNA and interacts with DNA helicase SGS1 and plays a role in DNA recombination, also cellular aging and maintenance of genome stability. Alternate splicing results in multiple transcript variants. Additional spliced variants of the gene have been described, but their complete length is unknown.
Yang, Q. (2009). Cellular senescence, telomere recombination and maintenance. Cytogenetic and Genome Research, 122(3-4), 211-8. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/224206989?accountid=28496
Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (Progeria or HGPS) is a rare genetic mutation that is characterised by premature aging. Only 40 cases have been recognized worldwide. It is characterised by medical features that develop in childhood and they resemble some features of accelerated aging. (Eriksson, 2003) The name “Progeria” comes from the Greek and it means “prematurely old.” There are different types of Progeria, but this is the classic type and was named after the doctors who first discovered it.
Telomeres power the successful reproduction and division of cells, and are found in the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) of genes found in chromosomes. When she was tested, it was discovered that her telomeres were shorter than other non-cloned sheep her age. However, scientists say that this mistake could be useful for treatment of cancer. By giving cancer cells in the body short telomeres and putting them back into the body, other cancer cells would be infected, and would die qui...