What does synthetically lethal mean?
Listen to pronunciation. (sin-THEH-tik lee-THA-luh-tee) Describes a situation in which mutations (changes) in two genes together result in cell death, but a mutation in either gene alone does not.
What are synthetic lethal interactions?
In model organisms, synthetic lethality describes the genetic interaction between two genes. If either gene is mutated by itself, the organism remains viable. The combination of a mutation in both genes is incompatible with viability and results in lethality.
What is synthetic lethality BRCA?
The genetic interaction between PARP and BRCA can be described as synthetic lethal. Synthetic lethality between two genes occurs where individual loss of either gene is compatible with life, but simultaneous loss of both genes results in cell death.
Which mutation is lethal?
A lethal mutation is a type of mutation in which the effect(s) can result in death or reduce significantly the expected longevity of an organism carrying the mutation. For instance, brachydactyly is fatal when the genetic defect is expressed during infancy in homozygous recessive individuals.
What is a synthetic mutant?
Two mutations are synthetically lethal if cells with either of the single mutations are viable but cells with both mutations are inviable. As with suppressor analysis, synthetic lethal mutations often indicate that the two mutations affect a single function or pathway.
What is cell lethality?
Abstract. Synthetic lethality is a lethal phenomenon in which the occurrence of a single genetic event is tolerable for cell survival, whereas the co-occurrence of multiple genetic events results in cell death.
How does synthetic lethality work?
Synthetic lethality occurs when the simultaneous perturbation of two genes results in cellular or organismal death. Synthetic lethality also occurs between genes and small molecules, and can be used to elucidate the mechanism of action of drugs.
What is collateral lethality?
Collateral lethality occurs when tumor suppressor genes are deleted, a nearly universal occurrence in cancer. Correspondingly, a large number of genes with no direct role in tumor progression also are deleted as a result of their proximity to tumor suppressor genes. SMAD4 is deleted in one-third of pancreatic cancers.
What is lethal phenotype?
When an essential gene is mutated, it can result in a lethal phenotype. If the mutation is caused by a dominant lethal allele, the homozygote and heterozygote for the allele will show the lethal phenotype.
What causes lethal mutations?
At the DNA level, conditional lethal mutations are often single-base substitutions in protein-encoding genes that cause amino acid changes in the protein product.
What is lethal gene Shaalaa?
Definition of lethal gene : a gene that in some (such as homozygous) conditions may prevent development or cause the death of an organism or its germ cells. — called also lethal factor, lethal mutant, lethal mutation.
What are called lethal genes who reported lethal genes?
Lethal alleles (also referred to as lethal genes or lethals) are alleles that cause the death of the organism that carries them. They are usually a result of mutations in genes that are essential for growth or development.