DNA Technology

Question 1

Where did we originally get restriction enzymes from?

Answer 1

They were originally isolated from bacteria, which used them for protection.

Question 2

What do we now use restriction enzymes for?

Answer 2

We engineer them specifically to recognize specific nucleotide sequences and cut along the backbone of the DNA, leaving sticky ends (which can match back up).

Question 3

What do restriction enzymes do?

Answer 3

They cut DNA in specific places.

Question 4

How are restriction enzymes used in gel electrophoresis?

Answer 4

You can add restriction enzymes to the DNA for electrophoresis. After it cuts the DNA, you can then separate the segments based on size.

Question 5

What is DNA profiling?

Answer 5

Matching sequences of DNA from electrophoresis to each person based on the number of cuts that appear as bands. It is useful for forensics and paternity tests.

Question 6

What does PCR stand for?

Answer 6

Polymerase chain reaction.

Question 7

How is PCR useful?

Answer 7

It makes copies of DNA from a limited supply if you need more, for example, in forensics.

Question 8

What are the steps for PCR?

Answer 8

1. Denaturation, heating briefly to separate the DNA strands. 2. Annealing, cooling to allow primers to form hydrogen bonds with the ends of the specific DNA sequence. 3. Extension, DNA polymerase adds nucleotides to the 3’ end of each primer.

Question 9

How does PCR basically work?

Answer 9

You need to add DNA primers, DNA polymerase, and nucleotides to go from 1 to many copies of DNA.

Question 10

What is one way to treat a genetic disorder such as sickle cell disease?

Answer 10

Gene therapy using retroviral vector.

Question 11

What is the overview of gene therapy?

Answer 11

Take a cloned version of a good gene and insert it into a retrovirus capsid after removing its viral DNA. Fill the capsule with the good DNA and inject it into the patient. Virus will inject its DNA into some cells which can reproduce, making more cells with the good gene.

Question 12

What is the first step of gene therapy using retroviral vector?

Answer 12

Insert the RNA version of a normal (good) allele into a retrovirus.

Question 13

What is the second step of gene therapy?

Answer 13

Let the retrovirus infect the bone marrow cells that have been cured and removed from the patient (it may not always be bone marrow for this).

Question 14

What is the last step of gene therapy?

Answer 14

The viral DNA carrying the good allele inserts into the chromosome.

Question 15

What are some ways to administer gene therapy?

Answer 15

Aerosol (inhaling), which is good for treating cystic fibrosis, direct injection, gene gun (a high power water gun to infect genes close to the surface), and delivery to extracted cells.

Question 16

Potential uses for gene therapy (diseases we can treat)

Answer 16

Sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, familial hypercholestria, atherosclerosis, muscular dystrophy, and severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCIDS).

Question 17

What was the goal of the human genome project?

Answer 17

To map the human genome.

Question 18

What is a genome?

Answer 18

A list of the different genes that an organism has, looking at the specific regions that code for protein. Ex: tongue rolling, eye color, etc.

Question 19

What are the benefits of the human genome project?

Answer 19

Improved medical diagnosis, improved detection of genetic predisposition to diseases like cancer, improved drug design and therapy, better understanding of evolution, and greater developments in forensics.

Question 20

What are some possible ethical concerns of the human genome project?

Answer 20

Who controls the genetic information? Possible rival commercial interests preventing researchers from developing new tests and therapies? Is it ethical to patent genes? Will genetic profile be used against us by employers, insurance, or government?

Question 21

What is DNA sequencing?

Answer 21

Looking for the exact code/sequence of nucleotides in a person’s DNA. Useful for ancestry.

Question 22

What is a DNA microarray assay?

Answer 22

A computer chip with a bunch of tiny wells like mini Petri dishes that you can fill with DNA to perform many DNA tests at once. You put the sample into the computer chip, put the chip into the computer, and the computer reads the chip and gives the information.

Question 23

What is a DNA microarray assay also called?

Answer 23

A DNA chip or a gene chip.

Question 24

What is proteonomics?

Answer 24

Looking at the different versions of proteins to determine how one change can affect the amino acid sequence and to answer questions such as, What do the sequences mean? What do the proteins look like and what do they do? What is their evolutionary origin?

Question 25

How is proteonomics useful?

Answer 25

It can allow for drug development. It can help us understand how specific drugs bind to the active sites of specific enzymes and how drugs block harmful protein activity.