Mismatch Repair and Microsatellite Instability

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About This MicroSim

Chapter 16: Cancer Genetics

Library: p5.js

Type: Process Diagram sim-id: msi-repair-pathway
Library: p5.js
Status: Specified

Animated diagram showing two parallel pathways. Left pathway: Normal mismatch repair — DNA replication introduces a slippage error in a microsatellite repeat, MMR proteins (MLH1, MSH2) detect and correct the error, microsatellite length remains stable. Right pathway: Defective mismatch repair — same replication error occurs but MMR proteins are absent or nonfunctional, error persists, microsatellite length changes with each replication cycle. Bottom panel shows accumulating mutations over successive cell divisions, with a counter tracking total mutations. Color coding: correct bases in blue, mismatched bases in red, MMR proteins in green.