Huntington disease can strike at an earlier age and bring about a more rapid degeneration and death in successive generations within a family.This phenomenon can be explained by which mechanism?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Huntington disease is caused by the expansion of a CAG trinucleotide repeat in the coding sequence of the Huntingtin gene. This repeat expansion leads to an abnormal protein that accumulates in cells, causing neuronal death and ultimately leading to the symptoms of the disease. The number of CAG repeats can increase in subsequent generations, leading to earlier onset and more rapid progression of the disease. This is known as anticipation.

Huntington Disease Can Strike at an Earlier Age and Bring