Microarrays Flashcards

1
Q

What is a Microarray?

A
  • An ordered assembly of nucleic acids immobilised on a solid support
  • Support: Glass like microscope slide
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are Microarray probes?

A
  • Probes are short pieces of single stranded DNA immobilised on the surface of the array
  • They are oligonucleotides
  • Each spot on the array consists of thousands of probes with the same sequence
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are the features of a microarray?

A
  • 6.5 million locations on each GeneChip array
  • Millions of DNA strands built up in each location
  • Actual strand = 25 base pairs
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

How does the detection part of a microarray work?

A

You shine a laser at the GeneChip array which causes tagged DNA fragments that are hybridised to glow

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

How does a Microarray work?

A

View diagram

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What have Microarrays been used for in the past?

A
  • Gene expressions (transcriptomics)
  • SNP genotyping (SNP arrays)
  • Structural variant detection (array CGH)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What are these applications being replaced with now?

A

Replaced with next generation sequencing protocols:
- RNA sequencing
- Whole Exome - Whole Genome Sequencing (WES/WGS)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What are the expression levels of all genes in your sample?

A

The Transcriptome

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

How do you check which genes are expressed at different levels between different types of samples?

A
  • Discover the biology of your sample
  • Classify your sample
  • Predict which class your sample belongs to
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Briefly describe Gene Expression Microarrays

A
  • Lots of copies of the same probe in a spot
  • Each spot gives the relative expression for one transcript
  • Detects all known transcripts in one sample
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Describe how expression profiling workflow works

A

VD

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What are the steps in Data analysis workflow?

A

Feature extraction -> Quality Control -> Normalisation -> Differential Expression analysis -> Biological interpretation -> Submit data to a public repository

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Describe the Expression analysis pathway

A

Normalisation -> Hierarchial Clustering -> Gene Filtering -> Statistical tests -> Generate Gene lists -> Biological Interpretation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is Clustering?

A

Organising data with similar patterns into classes. Objects within a class are more similar to each other than objects outside the class

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What are data repositories?

A

They maximise utility of microarray experiments
Share data / Use other people’s data

  • If users provide the minimum information about a microarray experiment then it’s easier to compare results
  • ArrayExpress, EBI
  • GEO: Gene Expression Omnibus, NCBI
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Describe how qPCR works

A

cDNA -> RNA -> Protein
This process is also known as reverse transcriptase

17
Q

How can we make RT-PCR quantitative?

A

By counting the number of copies of amplified DNA present. We count the copies by using fluorescent molecules - “Tags”

18
Q

What is the relationship between the RNA (cDNA) and the Ct value?

A

The higher the amount of starting RNA (cDNA), the lower the Ct value

19
Q

What techniques are used to count the number of amplified molecules present?

A

1). Include a dye in the PCR reaction mix that fluoresces when it binds double stranded DNA
Or
2). Label a probe in the PCR that only fluoresces when it is incorporated in the PCR product

20
Q

Why is qPCR used?

A
  • qPCR is used to independently confirm differences in RNA levels between samples
  • Probe binding is noisy and differences can be detected that are not real, especially where differences are small
  • RNA-seq is a more accurate measure of RNA transcript abundance, it’s more reproducible and works over a much wider range of concentrations but is more expensive.
21
Q

Describe how microarrays are used for SNP genotyping and GWAS

A
  • Genome wide association are only possible because we can genotype large numbers of SNP’s in large numbers of subjects
22
Q

How is this possible?

A
  • Possible by using microarrays that hybridise with genomic DNA adjacent to SNP’s (rather than RNA transcripts)
  • The SNP is then extended by one base that is fluoresently labelled and detected using a high definition scanner
23
Q

What’s in a spot?

A
  • Lots of copies of the same single stranded oligonucleotide: a probe
  • Each probe is for genotyping one SNP
24
Q

How does it work?

A

View Diagram

25
Q

What are the results from genotyping microarrays with SNP?

A
  • Each spot gives the genotype for one SNP
  • Upto 5 million spots per sample on array
  • Genome wide analysis is possible
26
Q

What then happens with each probe?

A
  • The Software translates the three different colour signals for each probe into genotype
  • A few SNP’s are reviewed by hand (less than 50) but most are not
27
Q

Watch lecture for the last LO

A