MSMS Comprehensive Exam Study Guide Flashcards

Flashcards based on the MSMS Comprehensive Exam Study Guide, covering Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Immunology, Genetics, and related clinical applications.

Amino Acid Properties

Differentiate between polar, non-polar, acidic, and basic amino acids and their solubility preferences.

Protein Structure Levels

Understand the four levels of protein structure (primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary) and the forces stabilizing them.

Enzyme Kinetics

Study enzyme kinetics, focusing on the effects of inhibitors (e.g., non-competitive inhibitors decrease Vmax but not Km).

Genetic Enzymatic Deficiencies

Examine genetic enzymatic deficiencies (e.g., Hurler syndrome due to alpha-iduronidase deficiency) and their biochemical consequences.

Collagen-Related Disorders

Understand the biochemical basis of collagen-related disorders like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and Alport syndrome.

Operon Regulation

Describe operons like the lac operon and their regulation (e.g., lactose presence, glucose absence, cAMP-CAP binding).

RNA Splicing

Highlight splicing, alternative splicing, and RNA processing events increasing protein diversity.

Transcriptional Attenuation

Understand transcriptional attenuation and why it is specific to prokaryotes.

DNA Mismatch Repair

Explain faulty mismatch repair in conditions like colorectal cancer (e.g., MLH1, MSH2 mutations).

ELISA

Recognize high-throughput methods such as ELISA for clinical applications.

Antibody Isotypes

Compare antibody isotypes (e.g., IgM is the first antibody in an immune response; IgG crosses the placenta).

Type I Hypersensitivity

Evaluate Type I hypersensitivity mediated by IgE.

MHC Compatibility

Understand MHC compatibility in organ transplantation.

Innate vs. Adaptive Immunity

Differentiate between innate and adaptive immunity.

Inheritance Patterns

Study inheritance patterns (e.g., autosomal recessive inheritance) and compound heterozygote definitions.

Chromosomal Abnormalities

Understand chromosomal abnormalities and their implications in pregnancy loss.

Oncogenic Mutations

Correlate oncogenic mutations (e.g., BCR-ABL translocation in CML) with cancer hallmarks.

Cancer Biomarkers

Assess biomarkers for cancer prognosis (e.g., E-cadherin loss indicates metastasis).

What is Marfan Syndrome?

What condition is most likely associated with sudden-onset shortness of breath, chest pain, elevated jugular venous pressure, and aortic dilation in a 45-year-old woman?

Vmax decreases, and Km stays the same

What happens to Vmax and Km when a non-competitive inhibitor is added to an enzyme reaction?

A defect in guanylyl transferase or Poly A Polymerase

What is the likely cause for mRNA molecules accumulating in the nucleus rather than being exported to the cytoplasm in a 28-year-old woman with defective protein synthesis?

Low-phenylalanine diet and tyrosine supplementation

What is the most appropriate treatment for a 7-year-old boy with recurrent vomiting, developmental delay, a 'mousy' odor, and elevated plasma phenylalanine levels?

Repression

What type of gene regulation is exemplified when bacteria do not produce certain enzymes when a particular sugar is absent due to a regulatory protein binding to a specific DNA sequence?

Collagen Type III or Fibrillin

What component of connective tissue is most likely affected in a 32-year-old pregnant woman with sudden severe belly pain, heavy vaginal bleeding, large eyes, small chin, thin lips, pale skin, very flexible joints, bruises, and an enlarged abdominal aorta?

Non-competitive inhibition

If an enzyme's Vmax decreases and Km stays the same after adding a substance to the reaction, what type of inhibition is occurring?

Boosts its activity

How does enoxaparin affect antithrombin III?

Poly A polymerase or Guanylyl transferase

If mRNA is stuck in the nucleus of yeast cells, which enzyme is defective?

Low staining for E-cadherin

What biomarker, when found at reduced levels in tissue, indicates a higher likelihood of metastasis and a poor prognosis for a cancer patient?

What are enzyme inhibitors?

Substances that reduce enzyme activity

What causes Hurler syndrome?

A deficiency in alpha-iduronidase

Name two collagen-related disorders.

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and Alport syndrome

What conditions are needed for lac operon activation?

Lactose presence and glucose absence, leading to cAMP-CAP binding

How does alternative splicing affect the protein outcome?

Increases protein diversity through different combinations of exons

What genes are commonly mutated in faulty DNA mismatch repair, as seen in colorectal cancer?

MLH1 and MSH2 mutations

IgM is the first antibody produced, and IgG crosses the placenta