WEEK 4 Flashcards
What are SNPs?
- Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms
- SIMPLEST variant of a DNA sequence is one base pair difference between two alleles
What can SNPs change in the restriction enzyme behaviour?
- The ability for it to cut the surrounding sequence
What is a Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism?
- Method used to detect small differences (SNPs) by using a restriction enzyme to cut sequence and seeing where it cuts or doesn’t cut
How do we detect RFLP?
- Using PCR from genomic DNA followed by restriction enzyme digestion –> Design primers to then carry out the polymorphism chain reaction.
What is a limitation of RFLP?
- Not every SNP you’re interested in will cut a restriction enzyme site!
What are two methods to detect SNPs that do not cause changes in restriction sites?
- Allele specific oligonucleotide hybridisation (you can identify a SNP in ANY part of the genome
- Allele specific PCR
Why are SNPs good for mapping?
- They are VERY COMMON in the genome
How often does the SNP occur?
- Every 1000 bp in the genome –> Human genome = 3 000 000 kbp so about 3 million SNPs
What is a limitation of SNPs?
- Each SNP occurs as ONLY 2 alleles! and the second category of DNA sequence polymorphism has MANY alleles
What are micro and mini satellites?
- Short DNA sequences that occur in a VARIABLE number of tandem repeats in a genome
What does the number of micro and mini satellite repeats vary between?
- Varies between INDIVIDUALS AND between the two chromosomes in individual
What is a micro-satellite (short tandem repeat, STR) defined as?
- 2-10 base pair repeat of a DNA sequence
What is a mini-satellite (Or Variable Number of Tandem Repeats, VNTR) defined as?
- 10-100 base pair repeat of a DNA sequence
How are mini-satellites and micro-satellites detected?
- Old fashion way= Southern Hybridisation using the repeat sequence as a probe
- New cool way= PCR using sequences on each side of the repeat as primers
What are the satellite alleles inheritance?
- Co-dominant
How often do satellite markers occur?
- Once every 10 000 bp so 300 000 satellite loci
What 3 areas are satellite markers used in due to the many alleles they have (number of repeats) and high level of polymorphism?
- DNA profiling and forensic genetics
- High resolution genetic mapping
- Ecological genetics and conservation biology
In mapping with DNA markers what does the ‘phase’ mean?
- Which alleles are together (eg. A1+B1)
What is the haplotype?
- the genotype for CLOSELY linked genes on a SINGLE chromosome
What are the benefits of genetic mapping?
- Can use to tell if a disorder is caused by one gene or by DIFFERENT genes
- Genes whose DNA sequence is not yet known (only its mutant phenotype) can be cloned from their map location
- Assists with identifying disease loci in combination with the whole exome/genome sequencing
- Nearby markers can be used as a tag of a desired gene in plant and animal breeding (marker assisted breeding)
- Closely linked DNA markers are useful in genetic counselling e..g Huntington disease
If a gene locus and a DNA marker locus are r map units apart, what is the probability that she has inherited the gene disease allele if she has inherited a SNP A4? (i.e. Formula)
1- (r/100)
What are three reasons why DNA fingerprinting and profiling are possible?
- genomic DNA sequence is stable (unless mutation)
- All cells in body have same DNA (unless mutation)
- DNA is UNIQUE (huge variation between individuals) –> humans have a lot of genetic diversity
How can DNA be detected from fingerprinting and how does it work?
- With mini satellite loci
- Digestion of genomic DNA with restriction enzyme and perform SOUTHERN BLOT
- Use a probe COMPLEMENTARY to the repeat to detect ALL repeat loci at ONCE
- fingerprint of bands will come up
Which technique is used to detect DNA from mini satellites?
- A southern blot
What does a higher number of loci mean for DNA fingerprinting with mini-satellite loci?
- That the increased probability pattern will be specific (unique)
What are three problems with DNA fingerprinting?
- Southern blots require large amounts of DNA (several micrograms)
- DNA must be INTACT (can’t reliably use degraded samples)
- Can be hard to interpret –> are similar bands the same allele from the same locus?
What is the method of DNA profiling?
- 10-15 UNLINKED microsatellite loci that are 4 base repeats and highly variable in copy number (highly polymorphic)
- Use PCR to detect –> DNA at one locus is AMPLIFIED (primers bind OUTSIDE repeat)
- Alleles defined unambiguously by the repeat number
What is multiplex PCR?
- Many pairs of PCR primers in one mixed reaction - Some primer pairs labelled with different colour dyes
- Automated detection shows PEAKS instead of bands
- AMPLIFY 10-15 different regions into a single PCR reaction
What are the advantages of DNA profiling?
- PCR is very sensitive, so requires very LITTLE starting material
- Can genotype partially degraded DNA samples –> PCR will ONLY amplify INTACT DNA (degraded DNA will not amplify)
- This means old samples can be used without getting false bands
What is a major disavantage of DNA profiling?
- Contaminated DNA can be easily amplified :/
What is the main result of a DNA profile?
- Probability!
What three things are related to the probabiliy being used to determine if the profile is UNIQUE in DNA profiling resutls?
- Unlikely that related people will share every band
- Each locus is INDEPENDENT so probabilities are multiplied
- Even a low number of loci results in huge/tiny probability e.g. Pr of random caucasian having allele A1 is 1/4, allele D3 is 1/5 and G4 is 1/10.
What does interpreting DNA profile results require?
- Large databases/knowledge of population genetics
Can DNA profiling establish innocence?
- YES
In DNA profiling is exclusion of identity/relatedness easy?
- YES
In DNA profiling, is complete proof of identity/relatedness possible?
- NO it is IMPOSSIBLE
If two DNA fingerprints/profiles match, is this proof that they came from the same person?
- NO but you can indicate a PR that they came from the same person (thus other evidence needed)
What are the two potential sources of error from DNA profiling?
- False inclusion
- False exclsuion
What can false inclusion be due to in DNA profiling?
- Relatives sharing the same alleles
- Some alleles being more frequent in specific populations (founder effects)
- Try to use markers that show no difference in allele frequency
What can false exclusion be due to in DNA profiling?
- Technical problems like ‘allele-drop out’
- Problem with very low amounts of DNA
- Contamination or mixed source of DNA
- human error
What are the differences between DNA FINGERPRINTING and DNA PROFILING?
- DNA fingerprinting uses minisatellites (profiling uses micro)
- DNA fingerprinting uses restriction digest followed by southern blotting (profiling uses PCR to detect alleles from a SINGLE locus)
- DNA fingerprinting uses a single probe to detect alleles from SEVERAL loci (profiling combines several INDEPENDENT microsatellite markers)
- DNA fingerprinting can NOT determine which allele is from which locus
- DNA profiling can calculate the Pr of a profile matching by chance
What are the 4 applications of DNA fingerprinting and profiling?
- Clinical (twins mono or dizygotic)
- Forensic (Comparing crime scene samples with suspects, identification of remains, identifying source of illicit drugs)
- Legal (biologcial father, immigrants being related, GMO crop tracking)
- Conservation biology (Determining source of poached wildlife, effects of climate change on plants)