BIOTECHNOLOGY!!! 1. A DNA microarray is used to quantify mRNA levels. Why is it
ID: 55860 • Letter: B
Question
BIOTECHNOLOGY!!!
1. A DNA microarray is used to quantify mRNA levels. Why is it called DNA microarray then, instead of RNA microarray?
2. What is the advantage of DNA microarrays over other methods to study gene transcription?
3. In this particular experiment, what was the objective of the DNA microarray experiment?
4. In part 3 (isolate mRNA), how were mRNAs separated from tRNAs and rRNAs? What were on the beads? What unique property of mRNAs enabled its separation from tRNAs and rRNAs?
5. In part 4 (make labeled DNA copy), briefly describe how labeled cDNAs were generated. Practice using technical terms that you’ve encountered in your professor’s highly informative lectures. Describe the primers and enzymes that were used. Explain the reason for the choice of primer/s. Explain what the “special enzyme” does.
6. Parts 5 and 6. What do the colors red, yellow, and green represent? What do the dark spots mean?
7. Part 7. If you’re a researcher developing a drug to shut off genes that are expressed mostly in cancer cells, will you try to turn off genes that showed up green, red, or yellow? 8. Give two reasons or examples as to why DNA microarray experiments don’t always identify all genes that have “gone bad”. Answers are mentioned in the interactive.
Explanation / Answer
A DNA microarray is a collection of microscopic DNA spots attached to a solid surface. The probe contains picomoles of specific DNA sequence, but not RNA sequences. Hence, it is called DNA microarray instead of RNA microarray. If at all the probe contains RNA sequences, it can be called RNA microarray.
DNA microarrays are advantageous over other methods as the data produced is more easily compared to arrays from different experiments.
The core principle in this technique is hybridization between two DNA strands. The main objective of this technique is to detect DNA or RNA that may or may not be translated into proteins.
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