Chapter 3, Problem 34P

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD; OMIM 310200) and Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD; OMIM 300376) are both X-linked recessive conditions that result from different mutations of the same gene, known as dystrophin, on the long arm of the chromosome. BMD and DMD are quite different clinically. DMD is a very severe disorder that first appears at a young age, progresses rapidly, and is often fatal in the late teens to 20s. BMD, on the other hand, is much milder. Often symptoms don’t first appear until the 40s or 50s, the progression of the disease is slow, and fatalities due to BMD are infrequent. Go to https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih/omim and survey the information describing the gene mutations causing these two conditions. Discuss the information you find with a few others in a small group, and write a single summary explaining your findings.