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Ch. 9 - Extranuclear Inheritance
Klug - Concepts of Genetics  12th Edition
Klug12th EditionConcepts of Genetics ISBN: 9780135564776Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 9, Problem 19a

Researchers examined a family with an interesting distribution of Leigh syndrome symptoms. In this disorder, individuals may show a progressive loss of motor function (ataxia, A) with peripheral neuropathy (PN, meaning impairment of the peripheral nerves). A mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutation that reduces ATPase activity was identified in various tissues of affected individuals. The accompanying table summarizes the presence of symptoms in an extended family.
Table listing family members, their symptoms of ataxia and peripheral neuropathy, and percent mitochondria with mutation.
Develop a pedigree that summarizes the information presented in the table.

Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Understand the inheritance pattern of Leigh syndrome. Leigh syndrome is associated with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations, which are inherited maternally. This means that only females pass the mutation to their offspring, regardless of the offspring's sex.
Step 2: Identify the affected individuals and their symptoms from the table. Note that individuals with >90% mutated mtDNA show severe symptoms (A and PN), while those with lower percentages may show milder symptoms (PN) or be asymptomatic.
Step 3: Begin constructing the pedigree. Start with the maternal grandmother at the top, as mtDNA is inherited maternally. Indicate her as asymptomatic with 56% mutated mtDNA. Draw her offspring: the mother and maternal uncle. The mother has PN (86% mutated mtDNA), and the maternal uncle has PN (85% mutated mtDNA).
Step 4: Add the next generation. The mother has three children: the proband (A and PN, >90%), two brothers (one with A and PN, >90%, and one asymptomatic with 17%). The maternal uncle has two children: both maternal cousins with A and PN (90% and 91%).
Step 5: Use standard pedigree symbols to represent individuals and their conditions. Circles represent females, squares represent males, and shading indicates the presence of symptoms. Include percentages of mutated mtDNA next to each individual to provide additional context.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Mitochondrial Inheritance

Mitochondrial inheritance refers to the transmission of genetic traits through mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which is inherited exclusively from the mother. This type of inheritance is significant in disorders like Leigh syndrome, where mutations in mtDNA can lead to various symptoms, including neurological deficits. Understanding this concept is crucial for analyzing the familial patterns of the disorder presented in the question.
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Organelle Inheritance

Leigh Syndrome

Leigh syndrome is a severe neurological disorder characterized by progressive loss of mental and movement abilities, often resulting from mitochondrial dysfunction. Symptoms can include ataxia and peripheral neuropathy, as seen in the affected individuals in the family described. Recognizing the symptoms and their association with mitochondrial mutations is essential for interpreting the family's health history.
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Robertsonian Translocations

Pedigree Analysis

Pedigree analysis is a method used to visualize the inheritance patterns of traits within a family over generations. It helps in identifying carriers of genetic conditions and understanding the likelihood of passing on genetic disorders. In this case, constructing a pedigree based on the symptoms and mitochondrial mutation percentages will aid in clarifying the genetic relationships and potential inheritance patterns of Leigh syndrome in the family.
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Pedigree Flowchart
Related Practice
Textbook Question

(a) In humans the mitochondrial genome encodes a low number of proteins, rRNAs, and tRNAs but imports approximately 1100 proteins encoded by the nuclear genome. Yet, with such a small proportion from the mitochondrial genome encoding proteins and RNAs, a disproportionately high number of genetic disorders due to mtDNA mutations have been identified [Bigger, B. et al. (1999)]. What inheritance pattern would you expect in a three-generation pedigree in which the grandfather expresses the initial mtDNA defect? What inheritance pattern would you expect in a three-generation pedigree in which the grandmother expresses the initial mtDNA defect?

(b) Considering the description in part (a) above, how would your pedigrees change if you knew that the mutation that caused the mitochondrial defect was recessive and located in the nuclear genome, was successfully transported into mitochondria, and negated a physiologically important mitochondrial function?

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Textbook Question

Mutations in mitochondrial DNA appear to be responsible for a number of neurological disorders, including myoclonic epilepsy and ragged-red fiber disease, Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy, and Kearns-Sayre syndrome. In each case, the disease phenotype is expressed when the ratio of mutant to wild-type mitochondria exceeds a threshold peculiar to each disease, but usually in the 60 to 95 percent range.

Given that these are debilitating conditions, why has no cure been developed? Can you suggest a general approach that might be used to treat, or perhaps even cure, these disorders?

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Textbook Question

Mutations in mitochondrial DNA appear to be responsible for a number of neurological disorders, including myoclonic epilepsy and ragged-red fiber disease, Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy, and Kearns-Sayre syndrome. In each case, the disease phenotype is expressed when the ratio of mutant to wild-type mitochondria exceeds a threshold peculiar to each disease, but usually in the 60 to 95 percent range.

Compared with the vast number of mitochondria in an embryo, the number of mitochondria in an ovum is relatively small. Might such an ooplasmic mitochondrial bottleneck present an opportunity for therapy or cure? Explain.

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Textbook Question

Researchers examined a family with an interesting distribution of Leigh syndrome symptoms. In this disorder, individuals may show a progressive loss of motor function (ataxia, A) with peripheral neuropathy (PN, meaning impairment of the peripheral nerves). A mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutation that reduces ATPase activity was identified in various tissues of affected individuals. The accompanying table summarizes the presence of symptoms in an extended family.

Provide an explanation for the pattern of inheritance of the disease. What term describes this pattern?

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views
Textbook Question

Researchers examined a family with an interesting distribution of Leigh syndrome symptoms. In this disorder, individuals may show a progressive loss of motor function (ataxia, A) with peripheral neuropathy (PN, meaning impairment of the peripheral nerves). A mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutation that reduces ATPase activity was identified in various tissues of affected individuals. The accompanying table summarizes the presence of symptoms in an extended family.

How can some individuals in the same family show such variation in symptoms? What term, as related to organelle heredity, describes such variation?

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Textbook Question

Researchers examined a family with an interesting distribution of Leigh syndrome symptoms. In this disorder, individuals may show a progressive loss of motor function (ataxia, A) with peripheral neuropathy (PN, meaning impairment of the peripheral nerves). A mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutation that reduces ATPase activity was identified in various tissues of affected individuals. The accompanying table summarizes the presence of symptoms in an extended family.

In what way does a condition caused by mtDNA differ in expression and transmission from a mutation that causes albinism?

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