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Restriction Map
A restriction map is a map of known restriction sites within a sequence of DNA. Restriction mapping requires the use of restriction enzymes, which cleave the DNA at or near the restriction site. In molecular biology, restriction maps are used as a reference to engineer plasmids or other relatively short pieces of DNA, and sometimes for longer genomic DNA. There are other ways of mapping features on DNA for longer length DNA molecules, such as mapping by transduction. One approach in constructing a restriction map of a DNA molecule is to sequence the whole molecule and to run the sequence through a computer program that will find the recognition sites that are present for every restriction enzyme known. Before sequencing was automated, it would have been prohibitively expensive to sequence In mathematics, a sequence is an enumerated collection of objects in which repetitions are allowed and order matters. Like a set, it contains members (also called ''elements'', or ''te ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Restriction Enzyme
A restriction enzyme, restriction endonuclease, REase, ENase or'' restrictase '' is an enzyme that cleaves DNA into fragments at or near specific recognition sites within molecules known as restriction sites. Restriction enzymes are one class of the broader endonuclease group of enzymes. Restriction enzymes are commonly classified into five types, which differ in their structure and whether they cut their DNA enzyme substrate (biology), substrate at their recognition site, or if the recognition and cleavage sites are separate from one another. To cut DNA, all restriction enzymes make two incisions, once through each backbone chain, sugar-phosphate backbone (i.e. each strand) of the DNA double helix. These enzymes are found in bacteria and archaea and provide a defense mechanism against invading viruses. Inside a prokaryote, the restriction enzymes selectively cut up ''foreign'' DNA in a process called ''restriction digestion''; meanwhile, host DNA is protected by a modification ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Restriction Sites
In molecular biology, restriction sites, or restriction recognition sites, are regions of a DNA molecule containing specific (4-8 base pairs in length) sequences of nucleotides; these are recognized by restriction enzymes, which cleave the DNA at or near the site. These are generally palindromic sequences (because restriction enzymes usually bind as homodimers), and a particular restriction enzyme may cut the sequence between two nucleotides within its recognition site, or somewhere nearby. Function For example, the common restriction enzyme EcoRI recognizes the palindromic sequence GAATTC and cuts between the G and the A on both the top and bottom strands. This leaves an overhang (an end-portion of a DNA strand with no attached complement) known as a sticky end on each end of AATT. The overhang can then be used to ligate in (see DNA ligase) a piece of DNA with a complementary overhang (another EcoRI-cut piece, for example). Some restriction enzymes cut DNA at a restriction sit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Molecular Biology
Molecular biology is a branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecule, molecular basis of biological activity in and between Cell (biology), cells, including biomolecule, biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interactions. Though cells and other microscopic structures had been observed in living organisms as early as the 18th century, a detailed understanding of the mechanisms and interactions governing their behavior did not emerge until the 20th century, when technologies used in physics and chemistry had advanced sufficiently to permit their application in the biological sciences. The term 'molecular biology' was first used in 1945 by the English physicist William Astbury, who described it as an approach focused on discerning the underpinnings of biological phenomena—i.e. uncovering the physical and chemical structures and properties of biological molecules, as well as their interactions with other molecules and how these interactions explain observ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Plasmid
A plasmid is a small, extrachromosomal DNA molecule within a cell that is physically separated from chromosomal DNA and can replicate independently. They are most commonly found as small circular, double-stranded DNA molecules in bacteria and archaea; however plasmids are sometimes present in and eukaryotic organisms as well. Plasmids often carry useful genes, such as those involved in antibiotic resistance, virulence, secondary metabolism and bioremediation. While chromosomes are large and contain all the essential genetic information for living under normal conditions, plasmids are usually very small and contain additional genes for special circumstances. Artificial plasmids are widely used as vectors in molecular cloning, serving to drive the replication of recombinant DNA sequences within host organisms. In the laboratory, plasmids may be introduced into a cell via transformation. Synthetic plasmids are available for procurement over the internet by various vendors ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Transduction (genetics)
Transduction is the process by which foreign DNA is introduced into a cell by a virus or viral vector. An example is the viral transfer of DNA from one bacterium to another and hence an example of horizontal gene transfer. Transduction does not require physical contact between the cell donating the DNA and the cell receiving the DNA (which occurs in conjugation), and it is DNase resistant ( transformation is susceptible to DNase). Transduction is a common tool used by molecular biologists to stably introduce a foreign gene into a host cell's genome (both bacterial and mammalian cells). Discovery (bacterial transduction) Transduction was discovered in ''Salmonella'' by Norton Zinder and Joshua Lederberg at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1952. In the lytic and lysogenic cycles Transduction happens through either the lytic cycle or the lysogenic cycle. When bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria) that are lytic infect bacterial cells, they harness the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
DNA Sequencing
DNA sequencing is the process of determining the nucleic acid sequence – the order of nucleotides in DNA. It includes any method or technology that is used to determine the order of the four bases: adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine. The advent of rapid DNA sequencing methods has greatly accelerated biological and medical research and discovery. Knowledge of DNA sequences has become indispensable for basic biological research, Genographic Project, DNA Genographic Projects and in numerous applied fields such as medical diagnosis, biotechnology, forensic biology, virology and biological systematics. Comparing healthy and mutated DNA sequences can diagnose different diseases including various cancers, characterize antibody repertoire, and can be used to guide patient treatment. Having a quick way to sequence DNA allows for faster and more individualized medical care to be administered, and for more organisms to be identified and cataloged. The rapid advancements in DNA seque ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Electrophoresis
Electrophoresis is the motion of charged dispersed particles or dissolved charged molecules relative to a fluid under the influence of a spatially uniform electric field. As a rule, these are zwitterions with a positive or negative net charge. Electrophoresis is used in laboratories to separate macromolecules based on their charges. The technique normally applies a negative charge called cathode so anionic protein molecules move towards a positive charge called anode. Therefore, electrophoresis of positively charged particles or molecules (cations) is sometimes called cataphoresis, while electrophoresis of negatively charged particles or molecules (anions) is sometimes called anaphoresis. Electrophoresis is the basis for analytical techniques used in biochemistry and molecular biology to separate particles, molecules, or ions by size, charge, or binding affinity, either freely or through a supportive medium using a one-directional flow of electrical charge. It is use ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Agarose
Agarose is a heteropolysaccharide, generally extracted from certain red algae. It is a linear polymer made up of the repeating unit of agarobiose, which is a disaccharide made up of D-galactose and 3,6-anhydro-L-galactopyranose. Agarose is one of the two principal components of agar, and is purified from agar by removing agar's other component, agaropectin. Agarose is frequently used in molecular biology for the separation of large molecules, especially DNA, by electrophoresis. Slabs of agarose gels (usually 0.7 - 2%) for electrophoresis are readily prepared by pouring the warm, liquid solution into a mold. A wide range of different agaroses of varying molecular weights and properties are commercially available for this purpose. Agarose may also be formed into beads and used in a number of chromatographic methods for protein purification. Structure Agarose is a linear polymer with a molecular weight of about 120,000, consisting of alternating D- galactose and 3,6-an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Supercoil
DNA supercoiling refers to the amount of twist in a particular DNA strand, which determines the amount of strain on it. A given strand may be "positively supercoiled" or "negatively supercoiled" (more or less tightly wound). The amount of a strand's supercoiling affects a number of biological processes, such as compacting DNA and regulating access to the genetic code (which strongly affects Nucleic acid metabolism, DNA metabolism and possibly gene expression). Certain enzymes, such as topoisomerases, change the amount of DNA supercoiling to facilitate functions such as DNA replication and Transcription (genetics), transcription. The amount of supercoiling in a given strand is described by a mathematical formula that compares it to a reference state known as "relaxed B-form" DNA. Overview In a "relaxed" Nucleic acid double helix, double-helical segment of B-DNA, the two strands twist around the helical axis once every 10.4–10.5 base pairs of DNA sequence, sequence. Adding or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phenol Extraction
Phenol extraction is a laboratory technique that purifies nucleic acid samples using a phenol solution. Phenol is common reagent in extraction because its properties allow for effective nucleic acid extraction, particularly as it strongly denatures proteins, it is a nucleic acid preservative, and it is immiscible in water. It may also refer to the process of extracting and isolating phenols from raw materials such as coal tar. These purified phenols are used in many industrial and medical compounds and are used as precursors in some synthesis reactions. Phenol extraction of nucleic acids Phenol extraction is a widely used technique for purifying nucleic acid samples from cell lysates. To obtain nucleic acids, the cell must be lysed, and the nucleic acids separated from other cell components. Phenol is a polar substance with a higher density than water (1.07 g/cm3 compared to water's 1.00 g/cm3). When suspended in a water-phenol solution, denatured proteins and unwante ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ethanol Precipitation
Ethanol precipitation is a method used to purify and/or concentrate RNA, DNA, and polysaccharides such as pectin and xyloglucan from aqueous solutions by adding salt and ethanol as an antisolvent. In DNA extraction, after separating DNA from other cell constituents in water, DNA is precipitated out of solution by neutralizing it with positively charged ions. The addition of ethanol to the solution is necessary to reduce the polarity of the solvent and allow the positively charged ions to interact with the negatively charged phosphate groups of DNA. DNA precipitation Theory DNA is typically separated from other cell constituents in a two-phase solution of phenol and water. Due to its highly charged phosphate backbone DNA is polar and will concentrate in the water phase while lipids and proteins will concentrate in the phenol phase. To precipitate the DNA out of the water, the negatively charged phosphate groups of the DNA backbone are neutralized by the addition of positively ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vector NTI
Vector NTI was a commercial bioinformatics software package used by many life scientists in the early 2000s to work, among other things, with nucleic acids and proteins ''in silico''. It allowed researchers to, for example, plan a DNA cloning experiment on the computer before actually performing it in the lab. It was originally created by InforMax Inc, North Bethesda, MD in 1993 and versions in the early 2000s were well reviewed at the time. However, in 2008 it was locked and turned into a commercial software after 2008 which created problems for locked in users who were forced to buy the software to continue accessing their data on newer computers. What was previously a single software package was subsequently split into Vector NTI Express, Advanced, and Express Designer. Vector NTI was discontinued by its corporate parent Thermo Fisher at the end of 2019 and support ceased a year later. Features * create, annotate, analyse, and share DNA/protein sequences * perform and sav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
