How did the team from the J. Craig Venter Institute create a synthetic genome? S

Question

How did the team from the J. Craig Venter Institute create a synthetic genome?
Select the three correct statements.

The team compared a number of genomes each with a small number of genes and identified 512 genes that may represent the minimum number of genes for life.
The team synthesized single nucleotides and assembled them into a synthetic genome.
The team synthesized short DNA segments and assembled them into a synthetic genome.
The team used point mutations to determine the number of genes essential for life.
The team compared a number of genomes each with a small number of genes and identified 256 genes that may represent the minimum number of genes for life.
The team used transposon-based mutations to determine the number of genes essential for life.

Explanation / Answer

3rd, 5th, and 6th statements are correct. The team synthesized short DNA segments (in the form of cassettes of DNA that were 1080 base pairs long) and assembled them into a synthetic genome. The team employed a three stage process to build the genome using the 1,078 cassettes. The first stage involved taking 10 cassettes of DNA at a time to build 110, 10,000 bp segments. In the second stage, these 10,000 bp segments are taken 10 at a time to produce eleven, 100,000 bp segments. In the final step, all 11, 100 kb segments were assembled into the complete synthetic genome

After the genome sequencing of the first free-living organism, Haemophilus influenza, followed by the sequencing of Mycoplasma genitalium, the team compared of these two genomes which revealed a common set of 256 genes which the team thought could be a minimal set of genes needed for viability.

In 1999, The team introduced the method of global transposon mutagenesis and experimentally demonstrated that M. genitalium contains many genes that are nonessential for growth in the laboratory.

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